System and method for aligning laser beam with filler wire for laser joining

A method for checking alignment of a wire relative to a beam of a laser, the method comprising:

• providing an alignment cell including a sensor system that detects light;
• moving, by tooling, the laser accompanied by the wire to the alignment cell;
• aligning, by tooling operated by a controller, the beam with the sensor system;
• generating, by a laser operated by the controller, the beam across the wire and directed to the sensor system so that the beam casts a shadow of the wire on the sensor system;
• measuring, by the sensor system, light intensities, including a light intensity of the shadow cast by the wire, a light intensity of the beam on a first side of the shadow, and a light intensity of the beam on a second side of the shadow;
• determining, from the light intensities, a first area of the beam on a first side of the shadow and a second area of the beam on a second side of the shadow;
• computing, by a processor, a feature parameter representative of an alignment between the wire and the beam as a function of the first area and the second area;
• and
• determining, by the processor, whether the feature parameter is within process specifications.

A system for checking alignment of a wire relative to a beam of a laser, the system comprising:

• an alignment cell including a sensor system that detects light;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• move, by tooling, the laser accompanied by the wire to the alignment cell;
• align, by the tooling, the beam with the sensor system;
• generate, by a laser, the beam across the wire and directed to the sensor system so that the beam casts a shadow of the wire on the sensor system;
• measure, by the sensor system, light intensities, including a light intensity of the shadow cast by the wire, a light intensity of the beam on a first side of the shadow, and a light intensity of the beam on a second side of the shadow;
• determine, from the light intensities, a first area of the beam on a first side of the shadow and a second area of the beam on a second side of the shadow;
• compute, by a processor, a first area of the beam on a first side of the beam;
• compute, by the processor, a second area of the beam on a second side of the beam;
• compute, by the processor, a feature parameter representative of an alignment between the wire and the beam as a function of the first area and the second area;
• determine, by the processor, whether the feature parameter is within process specifications;
• and
• align, by an actuator and when the feature parameter is not within the process specifications, the beam with the wire.