Impeccable laser welded seams in thick-walled aluminum

Gaggenau, Germany - When laser welding aluminum, the weld pool is quite distinctly fluid such that material expulsions and holes can occur, which give neither an acceptable weld quality nor good bonding.

Visibly good results can be achieved using a coaxial seam tracking system and the precisely adjustable effective width of the laser spot. Consequently, it is not only thin components - generally the case with conduction welding - that can be welded. The use of a device, such as the Precitec ScanTracker, also permits conduction welding, with scan function, of thick-walled aluminum components. There is no need for expensive and complex post-treatment, above all for visible seams.

During the welding process, the ScanTracker measures the weld joint transversely and the distance in the z-direction just a few millimeters before the TCP coaxially via YW52 welding optics. The welding head is fully autonomous and controls the laser spot two-dimensionally and precisely at the joint without additional axes. The minimal lead time of under a tenth of a second and the programmable distribution of linear energy across the width of the seam guarantee short cycle times.

Photo: Rigid connection of 90° laser welding seam