Femtosecond fiber laser welding of dissimilar metals

In this paper, welding of dissimilar metals was demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, by using a high-energy high-repetition-rate femtosecond fiber laser. Metallurgical and mechanical properties were investigated and analyzed under various processing parameters (pulse energy, repetition rate, and welding speed). Results showed that the formation of intermetallic brittle phases and welding defects could be effectively reduced. Strong welding quality with more than 210 MPa tensile strength for stainless steel–aluminum and 175 MPa tensile strength for stainless steel–magnesium has been demonstrated. A minimal heat affected zone and uniform and homogenous phase transformation in the welding region have been demonstrated. This laser-welding technique can be extended for various applications in semiconductor, automobile, aerospace, and biomedical industries.