Flexible laser beam welding of aluminium alloys for innovative light constructions

Increasing requirements concerning taking care of resources, reduction of emission and increase of the recycling rate result in using more and more Aluminium especially in transportation industries. Aluminium alloys are characterised by low specific weight, relative high specific strength capabilities, good properties regarding machining including welding and by typically high corrosion resistance. Because of these characteristics Aluminium alloys in principle are very useful for light weight constructions /1/. Laser beam welding of Aluminium is a relative new technology which now has been developed to a state of the art which allows to use it in industrial applications. Some first applications are for example steering wheels, gasoline or oil filter boxes, transmission parts or small pressure components for passenger cars /2/. Beside such applications which are characterised by rotational symmetric geometries actual developments are dealing with flexible use of laser beam welding in light weight constructions. Main aspects in these developments are product-, functional- and production oriented investigations and adaptations for 3d- or big components or structures. Typical examples, based on quality function deployment procedure, are Alcar bodies or components.