Fiber Lasers for Powertrain Welding Applications

Although fiber lasers are well-established as a successful welding method in several automotive production applications, there are still some specific uses in which they deliver less than ideal results. Often, these involve welding “difficult” materials, such as aluminum or galvanized steel. One reason these materials can be difficult is that they frequently contain constituents having a relatively low boiling point compared to the main alloy metal. The presence of these more volatile materials can make it difficult to control the precise dynamics of the welding process, leading to poor or inconsistent results. The key to overcoming these difficulties is to alter the intensity distribution of the incident laser power to tailor it for the specific requirements of the material.