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Abstract: The effect of laser cutting parameters on the mechanical behavior of laser butt welded joints whose edges were obtained by laser cutting was investigated. The paper aims to demonstrate that new high power solid-state fiber lasers not only represent a valid and reliable alternative to the most established CO2 and Nd:YAG laser sources, but also allow to obtain cuts having edges well suited for subsequent direct laser welding. First Ti6Al4V 1mm thick sheets having edges machined by milling were laser welded. Once the optimal welding condition was determined, the mechanical characterization of sheets cut by fiber laser and then laser welded was performed. Comparative strain analysis performed by a digital image correlation technique highlighted the effect of the gap between the sheets resulting from the different cut edge quality. Experimental results showed that the correct selection of laser cutting parameters allows to obtain butt joints characterised by mechanical properties comparable with the ones obtained by milling. Cutting edge quality in the optimal range of gap values allows to obtain the best mechanical performances of the joint. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aluminum/steel structural transition joints are widely used in shipbuilding industry due to the advantages of joining these two materials with important weight savings while exploiting their best properties. The research objective is the evaluation of process feasibility to laser weld structural transition joints to overcome manufacturing limitations of traditional TIG/MIG welding. This study presents results achieved during as-simulated laser welding by imposing severe thermal cycles to specimen obtained from structural transition joints with time periods longer than those normally recorded during laser welding. Metallurgical and mechanical characterization of heat treated specimen is performed to evaluate the influence of the thermal cycles on final joint properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]