Laser Blank Welding - A Global Perspective

A process which was pioneered in the 90s, laser welding of tailored (or engineered) blanks has now become a well established process within the automotive industry. Tailored blank welding suppliers have had to ramp up production in a relatively short space of time to match the growth in this market - with many lessons learned along the way. This paper reviews the market and applications from three different geographical perspectives: USA, Europe and Japan.