Synchrotron X-ray video of full-penetration laser welding of aluminum AA1050A

At the beginning of the video the transition from partial penetration welding with a keyhole which is closed at its bottom to full-penetration welding with a keyhole which is opened at its bottom can be observed. The images show that the fluctuations of the capillary’s geometry during the beginning of the process result in an excessive formation of pores.

During the further progress of the process a reliable full-penetration process is achieved with an increased stability of the geometry of the keyhole. A detailed analysis of this transition and its implications on the absorptance are presented in the related publication.