Comparative analysis of analytical and experimental results for melt pool geometry and temperature distribution in laser beam welding

Laser beam welding is widely used in various industrial applications due to its low production cost, high efficiency, and fast production capabilities. It is essential to understand the melt pool and the temperature distribution in the laser source impact region to improve the laser beam welding quality. In this study, an analytical model based on the “eigenfunction expansion” method was developed to determine the melt pool geometry and temperature distribution in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) during laser beam welding. Also, the welding process experimentally was applied to AISI 430 ferritic stainless at 225, 375, and 525 W laser powers for 0.6 and 0.9 mm layer thicknesses. Melt pool geometries formed as a result of welding were determined by a laser microscope and compared with an analytical study. The maximum deviation between the analytical and experimental results was found to be 18%. Additionally, the temperature distribution in the HAZ was analyzed for the same parameters. Based on the results, it was observed that the proposed analytical model provides a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to numerical and experimental methods for predicting the quality of laser beam welding.