Sponsored by CavitarDec 13 2022Reviewed by Louis Castel
When it comes to welding applications, metallic pieces and components are typically combined by subjecting the material to intense heat and melting the material in the connection area.
In applications where thick materials are required, filler material is sometimes added to the joint. The heat is usually induced by electricity, as in induction welding, spot welding, and arc welding, or by the application of electromagnetic radiation, as is the case in laser and electron beam welding.
As a result of the exposure to high energy in a small area, the processes emit significant amounts of thermal light. Therefore, the welding process is extremely bright at its core and presents a significant challenge when using camera-based welding imaging systems.
By eliminating welding brightness, Cavitar’s laser illumination facilitates a strong visualization of welding processes just as though they were cold. This is primarily a result of the high spectral brightness of the laser lighting combined with highly effective filtering of the thermal light.
In principle, Cavitar’s solutions can be applied to almost all arc and laser welding processes. The solutions range from quality assurance of welding processes in industrial production lines to rapid image acquisition of welding for research purposes.
Arc Welding Imaging
- Clear overview of filler wire drop forming
- Strong visibility of melt pool and surrounding area
- Example use cases: MIG and MAG (GMAW), flux core, TIG, hybrid welding
- Recommended products: CAVILUX HF for high-speed welding visualization, Cavitar’s Welding Camera for visual monitoring
MIG welding - CAVILUX illumination laser - Cavitar Ltd
Video Credit: Cavitar
Laser Welding Imaging
- Clear overview of the keyhole, also at extremely high frame rates
- Strong visibility of melt pool and surrounding area
- Visualization of defects, including weld bead humping and welding spatter
- Example use cases: CO2, Nd:YAG, fiber, disc and diode lasers, electron beams
- Recommended products: CAVILUX HF or CAVILUX Smart
NdYAG laser welding - CAVILUX illumination laser - Cavitar Ltd
Video Credit: Cavitar
Real-Time Monitoring
- Clear overview of the welding process
- Documentation of the process or desired parts of the process
- Ergonomic position to track the process
- Live video of arc welding processes for added quality assurance
- Real-time recognition of errors such as weld misalignment
- Example use cases: MIG, MAG, TIG, hybrid welding
- Recommended products: Cavitar’s Welding Camera
Cavitar's Welding Camera Solution Used by Serimax
Video Credit: Cavitar
Shielding Gas Flow Imaging
- Clear overview of shielding gas flow with specialized optical solution
- Visibility of melt pool and electrode
- Example use cases: Arc and laser welding processes
- Recommended products: CAVILUX HF or CAVILUX Smart
Schlieren imaging of Welding GMAW with front illumination
Video Credit: Cavitar
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Cavitar.
For more information on this source, please visit Cavitar.