Online process control in laser beam welding by means of power regulation in rf-excited CO2-lasers

In order to make laser beam welding more economical, investment and operating costs for laser welding systems have to be reduced and process reliability and weld quality have to be optimized by choice of appropriate process parameters and process control. The most important criterion for quality of continuous weld seams is the attainability of non-interrupted fusion over the whole seam length. The appearance of plasma shielding in laser beam welding is a cause of interruptions and therefore non-fulfilment of this criterion.