Visualisation of the melting pool behaviour during laser transmission welding of polymers

The testing method and the analysis equipment used for the first on-line visualisation of the melting pool behaviour during laser transmission welding as well as first results are presented in this paper. The research work focuses on contour and quasisimultaneous welding in a butt joining geometry. Different thermoplastic polymeric materials, amorphous as well as semicrystalline ones, in different modifications are objective of this investigation. The process is qualified by means of microfocus-radioscopy.