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As shown in Figure 1.32, laser‐assisted gas metal arc welding (LAGMAW) has demonstrated significantly greater penetration than conventional GMAW [25]. In addition to direct heating, the laser beam acts to focus the arc by heating its path through the arc. This increases ionization and hence the conductivity of the arc along the beam path and helps focus the arc energy along the path. It has been suggested that combining the arc power with a 5‐kW CO₂ laser, LAGMAW has the potential to achieve weld penetration in mild steel equivalent to that of a laser 20–25 kW in power [25]. Albright et al. [26] have shown that a lower power CO (not CO₂) laser of 7 W and 1 mm diameter can initiate, guide, and focus an Ar‐1% CO gas−tungsten arc.

Figure 1.32 Weld penetration in GMAW and laser‐assisted GMAW using CO₂ laser at 5.7 kW.

Source: Hyatt et al. [25]. Welding Journal, July 2001, © American Welding Society.