Weld pattern design for sheet metal laser welding considering fixturing quality

In sheet metal assembly by laser welding, metal fit-up is an important specification for achieving welding quality. The fixture plays an important role in satisfying the intimate metal fit-up that laser weld requires. The fixturing quality for sheet metal laser welding is directly related to the assembly weld patterns used (weld location, weld length, etc.). The design of assembly weld patterns is a critical phase in the fixture design cycle. Traditionally, the determination of the weld pattern is based on the designer's experience. Because of this it is quite easy to cause unexpected deviations from the assembly weld quality requirements. In this study, a new computer-aided design approach for the assembly weld pattern is developed, where the sources of variation in the weld areas of the parts are considered in detail. Using this approach, the weld location and the weld length obtained are much more reasonable and cost-justified. A simple example and a case study show that the approach presented for assembly weld pattern design can reasonably meet the fixturing quality requirements.