Abstract
The laser, because of its high energy output and speed, has become a most viable welding tool. Quality control is a fundamental concern in most welding operations. An optical technique in conjunction with signal processing and a microcomputer is used to obtain data from which the weld quality can be determined. The technique is one in which the plume that is generated on each impingement of the laser on the material is detected by a photodiode and processed. The processed data are related to the spectral content and temporal response of the plume.

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