experimental modeling and process optimization of laser transmission welding with fiber optic laser for polymethyl methacrylate in zigzag path

Polymethyl methacrylate (pmma) is extensively used in automotive, aerospace, and consumer products industries due to its favorable mechanical characteristics. laser transmission welding (ltw) has recently gained attention as an advanced joining method for creating strong, narrow, and lightweight welds in thermoplastics like pmma. this study examines the effects of three key process parameters—laser power, welding speed, and scan line spacing—on the ltw performance when bonding two transparent pmma sheets using a fiber laser along a zigzag path. the main objective is determining the feasibility of practical welding at low laser power while achieving high joint strength. experimental design and optimization were conducted using analysis of variance (anova) and response surface methodology (rsm). anova confirmed that all three parameters significantly influenced lap-shear force. rsm results showed that higher laser power, lower welding speed, and reduced scan line spacing increased heat input and improved weld strength, with a maximum lap-shear force of 1256 n. in contrast, lower laser power, faster welding, and wider spacing reduced heat input and resulted in a minimum strength of 245 n. desirability-based optimization identified optimal settings of 30 w laser power, 400 mm/s welding speed, and 0.015 mm scan line spacing, predicting a lap-shear force of 1249.2 n with 99.3% confidence. the results demonstrate that zigzag ltw of pmma is feasible at low power levels, attributed to uniform heat distribution and consistent melting achieved by the zigzag path.

experimental modeling and process optimization of laser transmission welding with fiber optic laser for polymethyl methacrylate in zigzag path

polymethyl methacrylate (pmma) is extensively used in automotive, aerospace, and consumer products industries due to its favorable mechanical characteristics. laser transmission welding (ltw) has recently gained attention as an advanced joining method for creating strong, narrow, and lightweight welds in thermoplastics like pmma. this study examines the effects of three key process parameters—laser power, welding speed, and scan line spacing—on the ltw performance when bonding two transparent pmma sheets using a fiber laser along a zigzag path. the main objective is determining the feasibility of practical welding at low laser power while achieving high joint strength. experimental design and optimization were conducted using analysis of variance (anova) and response surface methodology (rsm). anova confirmed that all three parameters significantly influenced lap-shear force. rsm results showed that higher laser power, lower welding speed, and reduced scan line spacing increased heat input and improved weld strength, with a maximum lap-shear force of 1256 n. in contrast, lower laser power, faster welding, and wider spacing reduced heat input and resulted in a minimum strength of 245 n. desirability-based optimization identified optimal settings of 30 w laser power, 400 mm/s welding speed, and 0.015 mm scan line spacing, predicting a lap-shear force of 1249.2 n with 99.3% confidence. the results demonstrate that zigzag ltw of pmma is feasible at low power levels, attributed to uniform heat distribution and consistent melting achieved by the zigzag path.