Case Study: ArcelorMittal achieves lightweight, defect-free laser beam welding for automotive steel with COMSOL Multiphysics

ArcelorMittal - Customer Case Study

ArcelorMittal, a global steel producer, faced the challenge of optimizing laser welded blanks for the automotive industry to reduce vehicle weight while meeting evolving crash-safety and emissions requirements. The company needed to prevent common weld defects (porosity, undercutting, partial penetration) by finding robust welding parameters across variables like laser power, speed, and wavelength. To tackle this, ArcelorMittal used Comsol’s COMSOL Multiphysics software for numerical simulation of the welding process.

Using Comsol, the team ran coupled electromagnetic, heat-transfer, phase-change, and fluid-flow models to simulate keyhole dynamics and molten-pool behavior as parameters changed. The simulations accurately predicted penetration depth and defect formation (for example, showing full penetration at 6 m/min versus partial penetration at 8 m/min with a 4 kW laser), enabling ArcelorMittal to define operating windows for defect-free joints. Comsol’s solution helped ensure high-quality, safe welds and supported weight reduction in automotive parts while matching experimental results.

ArcelorMittal

Sadok Gaied

Project Manager