Daimler AG honored TRUMPF with its Key Supplier Award in the Innovation category on March 12, 2009, in Stuttgart, Germany as part of its Key Supplier Meeting and the 2009 Daimler Supplier Awards Ceremony. In doing so, the automobile manufacturer acknowledged TRUMPF's contribution to the development of the robot-driven laser welding system RobScan.
"We have found the ideal partner in TRUMPF with the development of RobScan. Because for both companies, innovation is not only a word, but part of our corporate culture," explained Dr. Thomas Weber, Daimler board member responsible for corporate research and Mercedes Benz car development, in his speech honoring TRUMPF.
Jens Bleher, Managing Director TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik, who accepted the award for TRUMPF said, "We are very pleased to receive this award. It shows us that our forward-looking innovations in laser technology offer our customers true added value."
RobScan consists of a programmable focusing optics and a scanner optics for laser welding integrated into a robotic arm. Mirrors position the laser beam on each area within the processing field extremely quickly. Spot and seams can therefore be welded without having to move the workpiece or the focusing optics. In contrast to conventional welding methods, RobScan permits higher welding speeds with a better weld seam quality. At the same time, the procedure reduces flange widths and, therefore, also the weight of the components.
The heart of the RobScan process at Daimler are TRUMPF disk lasers from theTruDisk series. Using this technology, several robots are connected to a beam source via the TRUMPF LaserNetwork and powered using laser light cables. This system facilitates high laser capacity.