Melt behavior on the keyhole front during high speed laser welding

The flow of molten metal on the front wall of a laser generated welding keyhole has been observed by high speed photography, optically measured by mapping the flow of ripples on the liquid surface and theoretically calculated. A clear downward flow can be observed and measured by a Particle Image Velocimetry algorithm. A theoretical calculation of the melt thickness on the keyhole front is also presented. Results indicate that the thickness of the liquid on the keyhole front is similar to that of the resolidified layer found in micrographs of the front if the laser is suddenly turned off. The measured surface ripple flow speeds are between two and four times as high as the theoretical average fluid flow rate.