Design & Manufacturing Demands in Laser Automotive Prototyping Gordon McIntosh President, SWS-Trimac

Design & Manufacturing Demands in Laser Automotive Prototyping Gordon McIntosh President, SWS-Trimac

SWS-Trimac, Inc. is an Engineering company that specializes in Electron Beam & Laser Welding, CNC Machining, and non-destructive testing. From small-lot prototype development to production. SWS-Trimac, Inc. has been serving the needs of the Automotive, Defense, Aerospace, Biomedical, and Machine Tool Industries for nearly 50 years.

Laser Applications Previous Experience in Automotive Applications Transmission Components Driveline Reclining Seats Fuel Rails Detent Cables Spark Plugs Battery Components Fuel Cell Technology Electric Motors / Servos Air Bags Steering Columns Fuel Injectors

Laser Welding Environments Welding Environments Safe Versatile Efficient Repeatable Work Stations May Vary Greatly Manual, CNC Tables/Gantry, Robots, Etc.

Laser Welding Recommended Practices Successful Welding Requirements Weldable Materials Avoid High Carbon, Carbonization, Free-Machining Materials Sound Weld Joint Design Adequate Cleaning Technique Proper Weld Joint Fit-Up / Avoid Excessive Gaps & Chamfers Sound Laser Setup & Tooling

Weldable Materials Material Selection Avoid High Carbon Materials whenever possible Crack Sensitive Consider pairing with material with a lower carbon content. Use of ductile filler materials. Weld techniques may be tailored to offer post-weld tempering pass to localize anneal Reduce hardness in some applications. Carburization Carefully In fusion zone will lead to cracking & porosity every time.

Material Selection Weldable Materials Carburization (No Carb Zones)» Geometry Example Avoid Free-Machining Materials Phosphorus (P), Sulfur (S), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Tin (Sn) act as contaminates in fusion zone; will cause spit-ups, porosity & cracking

Weld Joint Selection Sound Weld Joint Design Common Weld Joint Designs Butt Joints (Axial & Radial) Piloted Non-Piloted Linear Lap Joints (Seam Welds) Fillet Joints Integral Filler Steps

Butt Joints Most Common Weld Joint Selection Piloted joints are preferred as they minimize postweld distortion and need for elaborate weld tooling. Applications with crack sensitive materials or high demand for post weld tolerance should consider an interference fit. Tight fitting joints (Compression) reduce the postweld tensile stress due to the inherent shrink across the weld joint.

Butt Joints Piloted Examples Weld Joint Selection

Butt Joints Weld Joint Selection Non-piloted joints can be challenging to weld as weld tooling becomes more of a factor when maintaining post weld true position & distortion. Base material(s) that are crack sensitive create other obstacles when choosing a non-piloted joint.» Example

Butt Joints Linear Weld Joint Selection Linear butt joints should be designed to freely shrink; special consideration should be made for multiple opposing linear welds. Linear Butt Joint, with Backer» Example

Weld Joint Selection Lap Joints (Seams Welds) Weld strength is equal to weld area at interface. Weld surfaces should make intimate contact to assure best results. Interruption in contact will promote additional part distortion.» Example

Fillet Joints Weld Joint Selection Commonly done although Crack sensitive materials can be especially tricky. Many Laser applications are done without the use of filler material. In some cases, filler material may be added via wire feed, filler shim, or filler wire added manually in separate operation.

Fillet Joints continued Weld Joint Selection The addition of a small, integrated filler step to increase weld puddle volume is always welcomed. Step may be added either component.» Example

Laser Weld Preparation Adequate Cleaning Technique All weld joint surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned prior to weld. What needs to be cleaned? Cleaning Techniques Quality Control

Laser Weld Faying Surfaces Proper Weld Joint Fit-Up Assembly methods are dependent upon joint design, regardless of weld joint all welds should be free of excessive gaps and chamfers.

Laser Welding Summary Sound Laser Setup & Tooling Welding Technique & Tooling will be driven by part specific applications. Material Type Joint Design Cross Section Thickness Part Geometry

Laser Welding Open Set-up Rofin Sinar Laser CO2 Laser CO2 Welding in Open Environment Rotary application in stationary fixturing Z table. Wave length of CO2 beam allows for more versatile, barrier-free welding.

Laser Welding Dual Station Production Cell Trumpf TruDisk Dual station cabinet Weld containment, fully interlocked Beam switching between two stations Manual X-Y and fully adjustable Z with fully adjustable weld head

Trumpf TruDisk Laser Welding Prototype Cell #1 3D PFO Weld Head Suspended over CNC Table Weld head may be used for Laser Scanning or conventional static beam spot welding. CNC table allows for part movement in X-Y with rotary capability. Very versatile for welding of small to medium sized parts.

Trumpf TruDisk Prototype Laser Weld Cell #2 Stationary D70 Weld Head Mounted over 4 x 6 envelope 8 Z-axis Travel Aerotech CNC Controlled X-Y 24 x 24 Travel Fully adjustable Manual Collet Fixture with integrated CNC controlled U axis

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