Effect of Welding Speed on CO2 Laser Beam Welded Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy 5083 in H321 Condition

Laser beam welding of aluminum alloys is expected to offer good mechanical properties of welded joints. In this experimental work reported, CO2 laser beam welding at 3.5 kW incident power was conducted autogenously on 5 mm thick 5083-H321 aluminum alloy plates at different welding speeds. The mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of the welds are evaluated through tensile tests, micro-hardness tests, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both yield stress and tensile strength of the laser beam welded joint at the optimum welding speed were 88 % of base metal values. Experimental results indicate that the tensile strength and hardness of laser beam welds are affected by the variation of the intermetallic compounds.