“[We] consult with our clients
in product design to ensure a laser-compliant manufacturing,” he said. Design engineers need to know that, because of the high precision of lasers, there are higher requirements in com- ponent preparation compared to other methods. He believes a simple rule can be applied—the gap between two objects must not exceed 20% of the laser fo- cus pulse diameter. “By the use of additional materials like wire or powder for example, the tol- erances can be further reduced and workpieces can be refi ned with an armoring or a wear- resistive protection,” he said. He believes a future market in North America is the elec- tric car industry with its powerful batteries. “Laser welding systems are especially in demand because of requirements like precision, very high process speed and an optical control system,” he said. These are provided by the company’s diode line of diode-pumped solid-state lasers in combination with the company’s Orlas software suite for process control, according to Resnik.
Steady Growth—High End and Low End “We are not seeing a great jump in demand for laser welding, but rather steady growth,” stated Tom Kugler, fi ber systems manager for Laser Mechanisms (Novi, MI). He agrees users are becoming more familiar with the fact that laser welding uses less material and creates less distortion than alternative methods. He also notes that lasers are in many ways easier to automate. “Perhaps the biggest factor is growing affordability,” he said. The price as measured in dollars per watt continues to drop, for all types of lasers. Kugler also notes that while mid-power lasers are effective in many applications, he sees growth in both higher power and lower power laser welding. He predicts high-power lasers will see more applications in welding powertrain components, tailored blanks, and some aerospace parts with new specialty alloys. The high-power lasers provide as much or better beam quality than is needed for welding, allowing standoff focal lengths of 300–600 mm, keeping the welding head away from
February 2015 |
AdvancedManufacturing.org 95
Mold repair is a growing application for laser welding.
Photo courtesy LaserStar Technologies
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