• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.209-216
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• 2006

A study has been conducted for an optimal processing and an apparatus for manufacturing a laser welded tube for one-body formed bumper beam. The tube dimensions used in calculation were the thickness of 1.4 mm, the diameter of 105.4 mm and the length of 2000 mm. The tube was formed of a cold rolled high strength steel plate(tensile strength of 600 MPa). The two-roll bending method was the optimal tube forming process in comparison with the UO-bending method, the bending method on the press brake, the multi-step continuous roll-forming method and the 3-roll bending method. Monitoring of the welding quality was conducted and the seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis was also examined. The longitudinal butt-joint was welded by using a $CO_2$ laser welding machine equipped with a seam tracker and a plasma sensor. The $CO_2$ laser tube welding machine could be used for precise seam tracking and real-time monitoring of the welding quality. As a result, the developed laser welded tube could be used for a one-body formed automobile bumper beam.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.136-144
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• 2004

Optimal process and system to produce the laser welded tube for one body formed bumper beam are studied. The calculated size of tube is a thickness of 1.4mm, diameter of 105.4mm and length of 2000mm. The tube is shaped from a cold rolled high strength steel sheet(tensile strength: 60kgf/$\textrm{mm}^2$ grade). Two roll bending method is the optimal tube shaping process compared to UO-bending, bending on press brake, multi-step continuous roll forming and 3 roll bending methods. Weld quality monitoring and seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis are also studied. The longitudinal butt-joint is welded by the $CO_2$ laser welding system equipped with a seam tracker and plasma sensor. The constructed $CO_2$laser tube welding system can be used for the precision seam tracking and the real-time monitoring of weld quality. Finally, the obtained laser welded tube can be used for one-body formed automobile bumper beam.