NEWS FROM AILU
Lasers driving progress towards carbon neutrality
Dave MacLellan, executive director of AILU, on how laser materials processing will help achieve 2050 carbon emission goals
As attention focuses on the UN Climate Change Conference COP26, due in Glasgow in November, the goal of achieving net- zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 is translating into specific government legislation and policy around the world. The laser is used in many ways to
facilitate the manufacturing of solar substrates, batteries and alternative propulsion for vehicles of all kinds. In June, AILU delivered a webinar on this topic featuring a panel of nine presenters from the UK, Europe and USA. Some of the themes arising from this webinar are highlighted below.
Developments in solar Solar manufacturing output has grown 200- fold in the past 15 years, and an overview of the market trends was presented at the webinar by Michael Walls, of Loughborough University.
China leads the way in solar
manufacturing, with almost one-third of the installed global capacity being there. In addition, most of the top-10 solar manufacturing organisations are based in China. Silicon photovoltaics remains the dominant technology, but new platforms are also gaining traction. One such technology is perovskite cells, which were developed in the UK. Grigorios Rigas, of M-Solv, presented a novel technique for a one- step interconnection that transforms the efficiency of perovskite cell manufacturing by process step reduction. This involves the combination of the inkjet printing of conductors (an additive process) with laser micromachining (a subtractive process). According to Rigas, this will improve throughput significantly and reduce the processing time from start to finish.
32 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE AUTUMN 2021
Better batteries Key to storing and delivering green energy is the battery, and continuous improvement of battery life and reduction of charging time is needed to make e-mobility a sustainable and viable solution for future vehicles. Melanie Loveridge, from University of Warwick, presented the ways in which laser structuring of internal electrode surfaces can improve the performance of lithium- ion cells and deliver crucial enhancements that overcome some of the weaknesses of current lithium-ion technology. The interconnection of cells to make
packs involves laser welding of dissimilar and highly reflective materials, including aluminium and copper. These can be welded by lasers in the infrared, green and blue wavelengths with or without beam shaping
“Lasers continue to become greener as wall-plug efficiencies increase with the latest generation of fibre lasers”
elements and oscillations to achieve more stable weld geometries. Electrode cutting is another important
opportunity for laser processing in this market. Avoiding the contamination of conventional cutting tools with lithium, the laser can achieve a combination of speed, flexibility and edge finish that makes it a serious contender for low- to high-volume processing.
Greener aviation and transport Air travel is responsible for 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions and the requirement to reduce this is being tackled by Rolls- Royce and others in the field. Clive Grafton- Reed presented the direction that Rolls- Royce is taking in this market.
In the short term, he explained that the
introduction of 100 per cent sustainable fuels, improved gas turbine engines with greater fuel efficiency, and hybrid engines where more hydraulic and mechanical systems are being replaced by electrics, is steadily reducing emissions. Following this, there are plans for fully-electric engines for small aircraft. Within this transformation, there is much scope for laser applications. The light-weighting of airframes is facilitated by robotic laser welding, which replaces conventional joining and allows dissimilar metals to be joined. In addition, additive manufacturing using lighter alloys is also being used in structural and engine component production to reduce weight and assembly operations. Other forms of transportation including maritime, rail and automotive are also going through a process of electrification, so the impetus is across the board, not only in the air.
Lasers getting greener As well as the processing of parts for the green economy, lasers continue to become greener as wall-plug efficiencies increase with the latest generation of fibre lasers. This reduces the carbon footprint of the manufacturing system and makes the choice of laser processing even more attractive compared to other joining, cutting and marking technologies. In addition to the laser source, automation
and process monitoring make the welding of batteries and other applications more controlled and efficient, as was presented by PJ Scott from IPG Photonics, which has installed many complete cells for battery assembly and welding. Finally, Phil Carr, from Carrs Welding, gave some practical experience of welding batteries in motorsport and for other manufacturers, where the turnaround required is fast and reliability and consistency is paramount. The next AILU workshop will be a live
physical event at Cranfield University on 6 October: Digital Technology in Laser Manufacturing, which will cover AI, Industry 4.0 and the associated advances in manufacturing with lasers. l
www.ailu.org.uk/events info@ailu.org.uk +44 1235 539595
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