Estimation of penetration depth by using coaxial image monitoring during laser lap welding

Abstract

Welding process monitoring is advantageous for maintaining weld quality and numerous sensing techniques have been developed for laser welding. Coaxial image monitoring enables direct monitoring of the weld pool shape and keyhole behavior, but requires the complex optical system and the image processing technique. In this study, we coaxially acquired the weld pool images during laser lap welding by using the camera and special illumination. The welding characteristics - pool width and length, keyhole shape, etc - were extracted by using image processing and the relationship between these characteristics and the penetration depth were investigated.