Method of joining workpieces using high speed laser welding and products formed using the method

Abstract

A method of laser welding a first aluminum workpiece and a second aluminum workpiece arranged to form a lap joint includes forming a laser weld between the first aluminum workpiece and the second aluminum workpiece and forming a lap through weld joint using a weld speed equal to or greater than 10 meters per minute. The laser weld has less than 10% area fraction keyhole voids, for example, less than 5% area fraction keyhole voids and the lap through weld joint can have a flange length of less than 10 mm. The first aluminum workpiece can be an inner workpiece of a halo assembly of a vehicle door, the second aluminum workpiece can be a channel workpiece of the halo assembly and laser welding the inner workpiece to the channel workpiece forms the halo assembly without the use of mechanical fasteners, thereby decreasing weight and costs of the halo assembly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.