Abstract
The study investigated laser welding with filler wire to determine the effects of wire feeding modes and the height of intersection of the wire and the beam (H) on weld geometry and droplet transfer. Droplet transfer behavior was investigated using high-speed imaging. The results showed that the wire melting changed with wire feeding. The leading wire melted completely and the welding depth and width were greater due to higher levels of energy available to heat the plate in the weld pool. The transfer mode changed to liquid bridge transfer and globular transfer with increased H value. With increasing H, the frequency of droplet transfer and the droplet size varied. At 2 mm H, the droplet transfer was very stable resulting in optimum welding.