Laser welding for Automotive Industry

Laser Welding in Automotive Industry

Dynamic Processes Open Up New Possibilities

Today, there is no modern vehicle on the streets, in which laser was not applied. Whether laser welded tailored blanks, gear components or car keys – the applications are manifold. In the process the employment of modern scanner technology plays an increasingly important role besides the already known advantages of laser technology. Such scanners allow for maximal efficiency of the beam sources and thus increase productivity. With up to 200 welded joints per minute and with insignificant welding downtime the large capacity remote welding, for instance, took root mainly in the production of automobile rear car seats.

spot welds of any geometry
Laser Welding of Exhaust System
  • Within the shortest possible time multi spot welds of any geometry can be generated with Dynamic Beam Welding Systems in a very large work space. This system technology is applied amongst others in the production of automobile seats and mountings.
  • Helium-tight seam welding with laser and galvanometric scanner. For this application high reflective materials such as copper or aluminum are welded with a fiber laser. Besides many other industries, the batteries are used for example within the automotive industry
  • Single battery cells are connected in series or parallel within a battery module. This is realized by the electrical connection of the contact tabs/arrestors. During the welding process for contacting, the heat input must be kept at a minimum, making the laser the ideal tool. Because high reflecting materials such as copper or aluminum have to be joined, the fiber laser in combination with a 2D scanner solution is the right choice for this application. Usually for this application output powers of up to 2 kW are used.

Together with further peripheral components, several battery modules are assembled to one battery pack for use e.g. in electric cars

  • For this application a high number of welds per part have to be realized. With scanner and fiber laser, the laser beam can be positioned from weld to weld within milliseconds. Adjusted scanner movements melt the copper so that broad welding gaps can be bridged. Due to their high absorption into highly reflective materials such as copper, the fiber laser is the right tool for this application. Another advantage of laser welding with the fiber laser is the low heat input due to very short process times. Therefore damaging the isolations because of high temperatures can be avoided.
  • Using lasers, gear components made from high-strength steels can be welded without cracking. The welding of gear components using laser could be established already a long time ago due to its advantages such as low maintenance costs, low distortions at the work piece, high flexibility and simple automation.
  • Tailored blanks consist of laser joined flat sheets of different material thicknesses and alloys. Linear as well as non-linear joints are generated. Due to the strength and ductility of the laser-welded seams, the tailored blanks can be subsequently stamped into components such as car doors.
  • As part of the preparation of high strength tailored blanks out of manganese-boron steel prior to laser-welding, q-switched solid-state lasers can be used for decoating the aluminum-silica layer.
  • For welding the aluminum of this air conditioning part, our fiber lasers are the ideal choice. The shorter 1um wavelength is much better absorbed by high reflective materials such as copper, aluminum or brass, compared to longer wavelengths.
  • The steel of ABS brake sensors is welded with high-power fiber lasers. Besides the brake sensors also various other sensors like pressure sensors, force sensors and air-bag sensors are welded by laser.
  • Stainless steel heat exchanger tubes are welded with laser scanner solutions in combination with our high power fiber lasers. Stainless steel exhaust couplings and sleeves can be either welded with fiber or CO2lasers.
  • To meet the emission standards, the harmful nitrogen oxides are converted into the air components nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide by selective catalytic reduction (SCR method). The selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Injectors are welded with fiber lasers and are used for AdBlue injection in large diesel engines.

Laser welding Machine

Laser Part