Multikilowatt laser welding in the automotive industry Available to Purchase

During the past several years, the use of multikilowatt lasers has been gaining momentum in the auto industry. Work with these lasers has been directed toward welding transmission components, air conditioning components, tailored blanks, torque converters and other assemblies requiring high quality welds at relatively rapid speeds. Some advantages of laser welding include high quality continuous welds, high repeatability, low thermal distortion, high strength, minimum consumable cost, and automated processing. With the increase in more available laser beam power to the workpiece, higher weld speeds are attainable leading to higher productivity and the ability to form welds in components requiring greater penetration. This paper briefly describes the deep penetration laser process and some factors effecting performance, productivity and weld quality. Several applications employing multikilowatt welding currently in production or being developed are discussed.