Dissimilar Metal Laser Beam Welding Between Aluminum and Copper

In this study, AA1060 aluminum alloy and T2 copper with a thickness of 3 mm were joined by Yb:YAG Disc laser welding. Three joint types, namely laser fusion welding (LF joints), laser deep penetration braze-fusion welding (LPBF joints) and laser deep penetration braze welding (LPB joints) were obtained depending on the amount of melted copper in the Al/Cu interface. Furthermore, the micro-hardness and mechanical properties of these joints were investigated in detail. The experimental results show that the tensile strengths of LF joint, LPB-F joint and LPB joint are 79 MPa, 94.5 MPa and 52 MPa, respectively. A maximum tensile strength is obtained in LPB-F joint, which is close to that of the 1060 aluminium alloy. The primary reason is that Al2Cu3 and Al2Cu intermetallic compounds with a comparatively greater hardness exist in the transition layer.