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Fiber Laser Welding in Automotive Industry

Laser welding is a welding technique used to join multiple pieces of metal through the use of a laser beam. Nowadays many companies use lasers to weld parts together during the manufacturing stage of product design: these companies come from a wide range of industry sectors including medical, aerospace, and suchlike. Laser welding is used in high volume applications such as in the automotive industry. Laser welding in the automotive industry has applications that enable manufacturers to weld component engine parts, transmission parts, alternators, solenoids, fuel injectors, fuel filters, air and conditioning equipment as well as many other applications. Today the automotive manufacturing industry has changed for the better, as a new generation of body engineers seem to be free to consider aluminum, lightweight steels, and non-metals such as engineered plastics and composites due to onerous government requirements for fuel economy. Plastic body components are now used all over the auto world, even on premium cars like Audi.
The laser welding process exhibits good repeatability and is easy to automate. Laser welding has numerous advantages and benefits over traditional welding methods. It can reduce costs while improving production efficiency and quality.
Laser techniques have several advantages over traditional metal-joining technologies:

  • Increased process speed, resulting in higher productivity
  • Compact manufacturing lines with reduced floor-space requirements
  • Enhanced strength of the joints
  • The reduced width of the flange, resulting in reduced vehicle weight
  • Greater tooling flexibility

There are a number of different types of lasers that can be used for welding in the automotive industry:

Fiber lasers can be used for a variety of applications from welding very small parts together. Such small parts are used in the engineering, medical, and electronics industries by manufacturing businesses. The high beam quality of high power fiber lasers is commonly used for remote welding applications in body job applications. The speed of welding and productivity are unmatched with any other welding technology including resistance spot welding or traditional laser welding. Fiber lasers are a versatile low-cost way of achieving high-quality spot welds.
The fiber laser welding process leaves a joint which is incredibly strong and long-lasting. With the help of such lasers the joint is produced in an effective, safe, and environmentally friendly way.

  • Nd: YAG pulsed lasers

Such lasers create discrete pulses of controllable energy which can be shaped to create the ideal weld. Nd: YAG pulsed lasers are suitable for producing large spot welds as well as deep spot and seam welds.

  • Continuous wave lasers

These lasers are ideal for high-speed welding and deep penetrating welding because they produce welds with a very low heat input.
The automotive industry is one of the most important in the modern society. Lasers have become a prominent part of this sector. This is especially the case for fiber lasers because such lasers and fiber laser systems can work with reflective metals without having their beam redirected back into the laser system itself. The reflective metals are a common part of the automotive sector, as multiple metals are used.
Welding trials at TWI using the latest fiber laser technology confirm this type of laser source should now be considered as an alternative to the CO₂ or Nd: YAG laser for the welding of materials, such as steel and aluminium. Fiber lasers and laser systems are also very attractive from an economic point of view with their power conversion efficiency and claimed reliability. Industrial confidence in the fiber laser technology is on the up too.
We believe in developing a real sense of partnership with our customers. We are committed to understanding our customer’s needs and providing them with a broad variety of fiber lasers, СО₂ lasers, Ti: Sapphire lasers, dye lasers, and excimer lasers. We offer simple erbium fiber lasers and ytterbium fiber lasers, as well as sophisticated laser systems with unique characteristics, based on the client’s inquiry. We manufacture lasers using our own technologies based on the advanced research work and patents of international R&D team. Laser processes are of high quality, high precision, easily-automated manufacturing solutions that provide repeatability and flexibility.
If you are interested in Optromix fiber lasers, please contact us at info@optromix.com