Methods and systems are provided for using optical interferometry in the context of material modification processes such as surgical laser or welding applications. An imaging optical source that produces imaging light. A feedback controller controls at least one processing parameter of the material modification process based on an interferometry output generated using the imaging light. A method of processing interferograms is provided based on homodyne filtering. A method of generating a record of a material modification process using an interferometry output is provided.

The disclosed technology generally relates to consumable electrode wires and more particularly to consumable electrode wires having a core-shell structure, where the core comprises aluminum. In one aspect, a welding wire comprises a sheath having a steel composition and a core surrounded by the sheath. The core comprises aluminum (Al) at a concentration between about 3 weight % and about 20 weight % on the basis of the total weight of the welding wire, where Al is in an elemental form or is alloyed with a different metal element. The disclosed technology also relates to welding methods and systems adapted for using the aluminum-comprising electrode wires.

The disclosed technology generally relates to consumable electrode wires and more particularly to consumable electrode wires having a core-shell structure, where the core comprises aluminum. In one aspect, a welding wire comprises a sheath having a steel composition and a core surrounded by the sheath. The core comprises aluminum (Al) at a concentration between about 3 weight % and about 20 weight % on the basis of the total weight of the welding wire, where Al is in an elemental form or is alloyed with a different metal element. The disclosed technology also relates to welding methods and systems adapted for using the aluminum-comprising electrode wires.

A plasma arc-laser hybrid welding method for a high-sealing aluminum alloy thick plate rectangular chamber is provided. A length, height and width of the rectangular chamber of the high-sealing aluminum alloy thick plate are all ≥350 mm. The aluminum alloy tensile plate material for the chamber is AL6061-T6, the plate thickness is 20 mm-25 mm, and the adjacent plates are in accordance with T The welding wire material is 4043, the diameter of the welding wire is φ1.2 mm, the height and width of the welding seam are required to be greater than 5 mm, the welding seam quality meets GB\12469-1990, and the ultimate vacuum degree of the chamber reaches 1 Pa. It greatly improves the material utilization rate and processing efficiency, and reduces the material and cycle cost. Using hybrid welding technology, compared with single laser welding and plasma welding, the welding quality is effectively improved.

A plasma arc-laser hybrid welding method for a high-sealing aluminum alloy thick plate rectangular chamber is provided. A length, height and width of the rectangular chamber of the high-sealing aluminum alloy thick plate are all ≥350 mm. The aluminum alloy tensile plate material for the chamber is AL6061-T6, the plate thickness is 20 mm-25 mm, and the adjacent plates are in accordance with T The welding wire material is 4043, the diameter of the welding wire is φ1.2 mm, the height and width of the welding seam are required to be greater than 5 mm, the welding seam quality meets GB\12469-1990, and the ultimate vacuum degree of the chamber reaches 1 Pa. It greatly improves the material utilization rate and processing efficiency, and reduces the material and cycle cost. Using hybrid welding technology, compared with single laser welding and plasma welding, the welding quality is effectively improved.

In preparing a built-up object by depositing beads, in a step of dividing into the bead model, a trapezoidal bead model a cross section of which is a trapezoidal shape is applied to a position where the bead is formed in a portion not adjacent to an existing bead, and a parallelogram bead model a cross section of which is a parallelogram is applied to a position where the bead is formed adjacent to a bead that is already formed, in the parallelogram bead model opposite sides in the deposition direction of the bead being parallel to each other, and opposite sides in the bead arrangement direction being parallel to a side of another bead mode that is adjacent.

A method for manufacturing structural steel components with local reinforcement is provided. The method comprises selecting at least a zone of the component to be reinforced, providing a steel blank and deforming the blank in a press tool to form a product, wherein the blank and/or the product comprises a groove in the zone to be reinforced, the groove comprising an inner surface and an outer surface. The method further comprises depositing a reinforcement material on the inner surface of groove and locally heating the reinforcement material and the groove of the steel blank or product, to mix the melted reinforcement material with the melted portion of the steel blank or product.

A method for manufacturing structural steel components with local reinforcement is provided. The method comprises selecting at least a zone of the component to be reinforced, providing a steel blank and deforming the blank in a press tool to form a product, wherein the blank and/or the product comprises a groove in the zone to be reinforced, the groove comprising an inner surface and an outer surface. The method further comprises depositing a reinforcement material on the inner surface of groove and locally heating the reinforcement material and the groove of the steel blank or product, to mix the melted reinforcement material with the melted portion of the steel blank or product.

Described herein are examples of weld training systems that show (e.g., transparent and/or translucent) “ghost” images of a welding tool on a display screen of a welding headgear to indicate target positions and/or target orientations of an actual welding tool. In some examples, the weld training systems may additionally “reset” the target tool image to a position closer to the actual welding tool if the target tool image gets too far away. The ability to “reset” the target tool image to a position closer to the actual welding tool may help in minimizing a risk that an operator 106 will overcompensate to try to catch up with the target tool image, which can be detrimental to the weld. Additionally, resetting the target tool image to a position closer the welding tool may allow an operator to better perceive and/or understand differences in orientation and/or other technique parameters.

Methods, devices and systems for laser-supported plasma cutting or plasma welding of a workpiece. In one aspect, a method includes producing a plasma beam which extends in an expansion direction between an electrode and a processing location on the workpiece, the plasma beam having, with respect to a center axis of the plasma beam that extends in the expansion direction, an inner central region and an outer edge region, and supplying laser radiation to the outer edge region of the plasma beam. The laser radiation supplied to the outer edge region extends parallel with the center axis of the plasma beam.