Algorithms for Weld Depth Measurement in Laser Welding of Copper with Scanning Optical Coherence Tomography.

In-process monitoring of weld penetration depth is possible with optical coherence tomography (OCT). The weld depth can be identified with OCT by statistical signal processing of the raw OCT signal and keyhole mapping. This approach is only applicable to stable welding processes and requires a time-consuming keyhole mapping to identify the optimal placement of a singular OCT measuring beam.