Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J564, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545

A -- ULTRA-NARROW GAP LASER WELDING Sol IPO-95-210. Contact Kimberly Seymore, Marketing/Technology Transfer Specialist, Business Development Group, MS J564, Los Alamos, NM 87544, TEL: (505) 665-9810, FAX: (505) 665-2840. The University of California which operates Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) under contract to the Department of Energy (DOE), is seeking an industrial partner(s) in the field of laser welding. LANL has developed expertise in the design, modeling and experimental verification of the laser welding process. This process enhancement, Ultra-Narrow Gap Laser Welding, allows welds to be produced in a modified conduction melting regime. Preliminary results indicate that coupling could exceed 60% for materials with 90% base reflectivity and could be obtained without going into the keyhole melting regime. Unnecessary melting, weld root defects and voids could be minimized, and extremely deep penetration and high-depth-to-width-weld aspect ratios could be achieved. The benefits resulting from industrial applications using this technique would allow laser welding to extend to a larger class of applications including: deep penetration welding utilizing a moderately powered YAG laser; thick-walled pipe and tubing production; and increased use of laser welding at remote sites and in robotics applications. In addition, better quality welds will be achieved at lower cost, greater speed, and inreased operation flexibility. Industrial partnes are being sought to enter into a CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) or licensing agreement. Any company interested in pursuing this opportunity or in receiving more information should respond with a brief statement of interest describing the company's technical expertise in laser welding and previous technology transfer experience. The statement of interest must be dated within 30 days from the date of this notice. A Potential Partner Workshp presenting Ultra-Narrow Gap Laser Welding and the commercialization mechanixms available may be held dependent on the number of responses received. (024)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0021 19950126\A-0021.SOL)