Nanosecond laser cleaning effectively removes oxide film and dirt from the surface of aluminum body parts for rail transit, as well as improving surface properties. The effect of laser cleaning on the quality of weld was studied in detail for different scanning frequencies and cleaning speeds. The effect of post-weld laser cleaning on weld quality was investigated. After laser cleaning at different parameters, the surface oxygen content was decreased and the surface roughness and surface hardness were increased. Variation of surface oxygen content was related to energy density and spot density. The lowest oxygen content was obtained at 150 W, 100 Hz and 0.8 m/min. Laser-generated craters changed surface morphology and improved surface roughness. The mechanical properties of the welded joints were slightly improved, which relates to a decrease in porosity. The minimum porosity of the laser-cleaned weld was 0.021%. This work provides new ideas for the nanosecond laser cleaning of aluminum alloy and its welding properties.
