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Laser Welding Technologies for Aircraft Fuselage

Panels
CONFERENCE PAPER NOVEMBER 2012
DOI: 10.1364/LTST.2012.MTh5B.2

4 AUTHORS, INCLUDING:
Li qun Li
Harbin Institute of Technology
148 PUBLICATIONS 371 CITATIONS
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Available from: Li qun Li

Retrieved on: 01 September 2015

Laser Welding Technologies for Aircraft Fuselage Panels

Yanbin Chen, Liqun Li, Wang Tao, Zhibin Yang
State Key Laboratory of Advance Welding & Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
chenyb@hit.edu.cn; liliqun@hit.edu.cn

Abstract: The paper focuses on some new investigations of fiber laser double-sides welding
fuselage structure, include quality control, mechanical properties, temperature fields simulation.
Finally an advanced laser welding machine for large fuselage structures is discussed.
OCIS codes: 140.3390; 160.3900

1. Introduction
During manufacturing of an aircraft fuselage, riveting is the dominant joining technology for skin-stringer joints[1,2,
3]. Driven by improved production efficiency and weight reduction, double-sided laser beam welding of
skin-stringer joints was first introduced in Germany [4, 5]. This process was first used in the production of the
Airbus A318 and proved to be a promising technology for commercial aircraft [6-8].
However, the few related research reports are only found in airbus researchers' report and patents, which are not
enough to understand this technology. Therefore, the system research is necessary to utilize it to support domestic
large aircraft manufacturing.
2. Quality control and mechanical properties
The bead geometry and porosity are critical points for joining aluminum skin-stringer structure by double-sided laser
welding. The 1.8 mm thick AA6156-T6 laminated panels and 1.8 mm thick AA6056-T4 extruded profiles are used
for the skin and stringer components, a high-alloy Al-Si filler wire is chose to suppress hot cracking. The
experimental set-up with two 4kW fiber lasers is shown in fig.1. The beam incident position and incident angle are
key factors for this process, and optimal beam incident position is around 0.2 mm on the stringer from the weld fillet
and giving a 40~50seam angle, as show in fig. 2. The low-porosity seam is obtained with 12m/min welding speed.

Fig.1 Experimental set-up of double-sided laser welding

Fig. 2. Definition of parameters on the T-joint cross-section

The tensile strength mainly depended on weld penetration, and the sound weld penetration was between 0.65
mm to 1.0 mm. The average head and hoop tensile tests of welded samples are 204 MPa and 332 MPa respectively.
Fractures of both head and hoop tensile samples were found to originate at weld toe on the skin panel. For the head
tensile test, the samples were fractured along the fusion line between the weld metal and base metal, and the fracture

mechanism was brittle in nature. For the hoop tensile test, fractured occurs along the fusion line up to the point of
deepest penetration and then the cracked through the base material.
3. Temperature fields simulation
In this study, a three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) is adopted for analyzing the temperature distribution
in a T-joint weld produced by the double-sided laser beam welding and predicting the bead geometry.
Temperature-dependent thermal properties of aluminum alloys, effect of latent heat of fusion, and the convective
and radiative boundary conditions are included in the model. The effect of laser beam power, welding speed and
beam incident angle on the weld bead geometry are investigated.
4. Laser welding machine
For high accuracy as well as for high available welding speed, a special gantry system is designed for welding
fuselage panels which integrate CNC system and two robots. Two simultaneous operated 4kW fiber lasers are used
to meet the requirement of fuselage panels welding. The working area of the laser welding system measures 5.5 m
3 m 1 m. The working head can be rotated 60on A-axis, 25on B-axis and 90on C-Axis. Further
auxiliary axes allow the handling and clamping of the stringer. Four laser vision sensors are used for on-line seam
tracking and measurement of bead geometry respectively on double sides.
5. Summary and outlook
The simultaneous double-sides fiber lasers are used to establish a stable welding process for the skin-stringer
connection of aircraft fuselage panel. With optimum process parameters and on-line inspections techniques high
quality seam are obtained at 12m/min welding speed. Meanwhile a special laser welding system is designed for
large fuselage structure, which combines the CNC system and double welding robots.
In China, the laser beam welding is still at the beginning of its career in aerospace industry. There are much
work remain to be done, such as definition of process requirement, evaluation of production, On-line and off-line
test methods for panels and so on. Nevertheless, we believe this technology will probably be applied to Chinese
large commercial aircrafts in the next few years with the persistent efforts.
6. References
[1] Neye G, Heider P. Laser beam welding of modern Al-alloy for the aircraft industry. Proc Conf ECLAT'94/Dusseldorf: Deutscher Verband fr
Schweitechnik 1994:108-17.
[2] Neye G. Laserstrahlschweikonzept fr Rumpfschalen-strukturen. Strahltechnik, Band 5, Bremen, Bias-Verlag, 1997. Hrsg.: Sepold G,
Jptner W. ISBN: 3-9805011-5-9.
[3] Mendez PF, Eagar TW. Welding process for aeronautics. Adv Mater Proc 2001; 159:39-43.
[4] Schumacher J, et al. Laser Beam Welding of Aircraft Fuselage Panels. Proc ICALEO 2002, Scottsdale, USA, Section A.
[5] Koak M, Uz V. European FITNET Fitness-for-Service Procedure: Application of Its Fracture Module to the Stiffened Al-Alloy Panels of
Airframe Structures. Workshop on Fracture Control of Spacecraft, Launchers and their Payloads and Experiments, ESA/ESTEC Noordwijk, The
Netherlands, 2009
[6] Zink W. Welding fuselage shells. Ind Laser Solutions Manuf 2001; 16(4):7-10.
[7] Schneider K, Schumacher J. Lasertechnologie-Ein Schlssel im Wettbewerb der modernen Strukturtechnologien im zivilen Flugzeugbau.
Laserstrahlfgen, Strahltechnik Band 19, BIAS Verlag, Bremen, 2002:5-14.
[8] Brenner B, et al. New technological aspects of laser beam welding of aircraft structures. Dsseldorf: DVS 2004:19-24.