ABSTRACT
The new generation aircraft structures make extensive use of laser-beam welding for the fabrication of fuselage panels. These panels are large thin structures of Al 6056T4 (an aluminium alloy) with stiffeners welded upon them. The typical length of weld seam reaches 50 m or so. Industrially, the fuselage panels are held in position with the help of a suction table. Laser-beam welding is employed in a key-hole regime from both sides of the stiffeners in a T-joint configuration. The residual stresses induced during welding may then give rise to the bending/buckling distortions. Figure 1 presents the typical shape of fuselage panels manufactured for aerospace assembly.
