Microwelding of thin stainless steel foils using an ultrashort pulsed laser

This paper explores the process of microwelding thin stainless steel foils using an ultrashort pulsed (USP) laser. The production of practical, miniaturized pipelines that allow liquids to flow smoothly presents numerous challenges. Usually, coatings are applied to the inner walls of the pipe. An innovative approach involves the use of high-precision laser processing. The utilization of USP laser processing is used both to create functional surfaces and to produce miniaturized pipes through an overlap welding process. This study demonstrates a successful approach using a USP laser for overlap welding of thin foils to produce miniaturized pipes. Overlap welding was performed on two nontransparent 1.4301 stainless foils with a foil thickness of 20 μm using a picosecond laser. The authors identified optimal process parameters by varying power density and pulse overlap and by optimizing the sample holder to achieve high-quality weld seams with a reduced heat-affected zone.