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Introduction to fiber lasers in automotive manufacturing
The global automotive industry has been a pioneer in adopting fiber laser technology into the manufacturing process, perhaps starting as early as 1973 when Ford Motor Co. purchased an underbody laser welding system for an assembly line.
Market growth and driving factors
Nowadays fiber laser market will grow faster than predicted earlier due to the increased interest from the automobile and electronics industries. The interest is driven by an increased demand for green manufacturing and a concern of the material manufacturers towards the environment. Fiber laser systems provide high wall plug efficiency, an ultra-compact footprint, and an excellent beam quality, which does not require complicated optics for the beam delivery.
Cost reduction through fiber optic technology
With the development of fiber optic technology, fiber lasers are getting less expensive. The lower price of fiber laser systems makes laser welding, cutting, etc., more cost-effective. The prospect of minimizing the expenses and optimizing the production process drives the representatives of the automobile and electronics industries towards the use of fiber laser systems in the production process. This increased demand will drive the market growth.
Advantages of fiber laser systems
Besides being cost-efficient, fiber laser systems offer multiple beneficial properties that are desirable for many applications. Fiber lasers have high processing speed, which increases the volume of production of any given industry, making fiber lasers ideal for high-volume production applications, like fiber laser welding and cutting. The ability to cut through thicker and undesirable materials that often pose a challenge for other types of lasers and other optical technologies. This ability offers a great market potential for various industries.
Future automotive technologies and fiber lasers
One day, gearboxes, drivetrains, transaxles, injection valves, gasoline engines, and steering columns may all be history. Drive-by-wire approaches and the alternative propelling systems of the future will demand new manufacturing techniques. Fiber lasers will continue to play a major role in these technologies.
Fuel cells, for example, are often discussed as power sources for future automobiles. Fuel cells are composed of thin foils, and precision high-speed welding, cutting, and drilling will be required to mass-produce them.