Influence of the Quality of Metal Sheet Edges After Strip Slitting Processes in Integrated Lines on the Quality of Laser Welds

This paper concerns issues related to the processes of sheet metal slitting and laser welding in technological lines. It includes a discussion of the industry needs and requirements for semi-finished products in the form of thin metal sheets. Furthermore, the basic technical solutions used in automatic strip slitting equipment and selected process parameters based on a specific material are described. The presented results were obtained on the basis of practical verification of the assumptions using newly designed devices implemented into production. The research material consisted of samples taken from S235JR sheet after strip slitting on an integrated slitting line and samples taken from a finished sideboard profile after laser welding. The welding process had been carried out using a CO2 laser, TruLaser Cell 1100, with a power of 4kW. Areas of a laser-welded joint were analysed for varied condition of the sheet edges at the production speed of 4m/min. Microscopic weld examination for the sheet edges without strains or burrs revealed a deep penetration at the level of 2355 µm, allowing to obtain a joint with a length of 1607 µm, a small heat-affected zone, and the correct structure. The paper shows possible problems and causes of their occurrence in industrial conditions.

---

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).