Micro welding of steels by nanosecond pulsed laser

This paper presents the recent results in micro-welding of nearly eutectoid steels obtained with a nanosecond pulsed laser. By using this source, good penetration depth and seam geometry can be obtained with minimum energy delivered to the work piece, and minimum heat affected zone, if compared to long pulse laser sources or low energy density sources. Moreover, by using appropri- ated controlled axes, high welding rates and high flexibility, in terms of seam paths, are easily ob- tained. A numerical simulation of micro-welding of nearly eutectoid steels by nanosecond pulsed laser is carried out to evaluate the weld pool dimension and the heat-affected zone extension.