Laser welding, as a highly efficient processing technology, has been widely applied to manufacturing industry. This paper makes an overview on real time monitoring of laser welding. It begins with a detailed introduction to six typical sensors (photodiode, visual, spectrometer, acoustical sensor, pyrometer, plasma charge sensor) in laser welding detection. Then it makes a review on multi-sensor fusion technology in both laser welding monitoring and adaptive control. Last, subjects for future research concerning welding monitoring and control have been proposed. The paper concludes that the real-time monitoring of laser welding can provide a great amount of valid information about welding status to help effectively identify weld defects and realize adaptive control.
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