The role of filler wire and scanning strategy in laser welding of difficult-to-weld aluminum alloys

Laser welding of dissimilar aluminum alloys has gained interest over recent years, especially for the production of lightweight components. Pore and crack formation is one of the most critical factors to be taken into consideration for such applications, in particular when one or more parts are produced by die casting or additive manufacturing (AM). Current laser systems offer several methods for defect reduction and process control, while optimized process strategies must be correlated to key factors influencing welding outcomes. In light of these aspects, the current paper investigates the welding of AA6082 sheets with AlSi10Mg parts produced by AM in a lap-joint configuration typical of battery housings in the e-mobility industry. Both laser welding with and without filler wire are investigated, along with the potential advantages of using a wobbling scanning strategy, in order to understand the impact of process strategies on weld bead quality. The importance of process parameter optimization is highlighted for all of the employed strategies, with special emphasis on defects, weld bead chemical composition, joint morphology, and dilution between the materials involved. The findings demonstrate that by introducing filler wire and employing active wobbling, highly reflective alloys can be welded correctly (porosity below 1%, equivalent ultimate strength up to 204 MPa) with good tolerance to variations in process parameters, while filler wire can be excluded in high-productivity welding where linear scanning is employed and detailed optimization of process parameters is performed (porosity below 2%, equivalent ultimate strength up to 190 MPa)