Possibilities of laser-beam joining cemented carbides to steel

Abstract

Welded joints of cemented carbides with steel are commonly present in tool production, mainly those used in the machining and mining industry. The article presents possibilities of joining cemented carbides H10S and G10 with steel C45 using laser radiation. These are the first innovative experiments carried out in Poland. Joints between cemented carbides and steel were made both directly and using spacers between the materials to be joined, which were made of copper, triple-layer solder Ag49/Cu and nickel. The joining trials were carried out at the Laser Technology Centre of the Institute of welding in Gliwice. A Triumpf disc laser (λ = 1030 nm) Tru-Disc 12002 with output power of 12 kW was used for this purpose. The laser beam was focused mostly on the steel surface to avoid direct interaction between the laser beam and the structure of cemented carbides. The assessment of joints of cemented carbides with steel C45 was conducted on the basis of metallographic evaluation, EDX analyses and microhardness measurements.