Arc leading versus laser leading in the hybrid welding of aluminium alloy using a fiber laser

Hybrid welding technology can be defined as the combination of a laser heat source with a secondary welding source. In this paper a new generation of high power fiber laser was used and it was coupled with a TIG arc source. Two separate sets of experimental trials were performed. It included testing process parameters such as laser power, welding speed and arc current. Microstructure, microhardness and weld appearance were analyzed. A comparison was performed between laser leading and arc leading configuration. The experimental results showed that the laser leading configuration produces a better penetration and sounder weld. The overall investigation gave the clear input that the laser leading configuration is more convenient with respect to the arc leading one. The obtained results worth a larger investigation for a statistical prove of the here presented results.