Laser welding of automotive powertrain components, although having been done for many years, is seeing an increase in implementation. The advantages of weight, space and material savings compared to traditional assembly techniques are fueling this trend. Due to the low heat input, laser welding provides distortion free welding at a high speed compared to other welding technologies. Although in wide use, powertrain components can entail challenges for laser welding. Some examples are: the use of high hardness-high carbon steels, joint tolerances, the use of cast materials and/or welding of non-equivalent materials. This paper will give an overview of a number of processes and production solutions to overcome existing challenges along with guidelines defining realistic limits for these parameters. This article is focused on two typical process challenges in the production of powertrain components. The first challenge is the cracking of material when welded with the laser. The second challenge, which will be exemplified in this article, is the accurate location of the welding joint of parts that have tolerances too wide for a reliable welding process. This paper shows the development of technologies to address two of the most common process challenges with different solutions. Cracking and hardness formation can be managed with the help of wire supplementation and pre- or post heating. Build-in camera systems can find the location of joints and material offsets. The weld path can be compensated to the measured values. As the trend leads to more and more lasers in welding applications of powertrain components, still more solutions for process and material problems have to be found and implemented to open the roads for an even more widespread use of the laser.
Laser welding of automotive powertrain components in high volume production
Laserstrahlschweißen von Automobil-Kraftübertragungselementen in Großserienfertigung
2006
6 Seiten, 10 Bilder
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
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