Robotic Laser Welding Solutions

 With the development of science and technology, the replacement of manpower by machines has shown more and more advantages. Industrial manufacturing relies on advanced machinery and equipment, which not only increases product output, shortens product manufacturing cycle, but also obtains a qualitative leap in product quality. In the field of manufacturing and processing, laser welding technology is undergoing continuous innovation and changes since it was discovered by humans at the end of the last century. At present, in the mechanical welding industry, the popular robotic laser welding systems can be widely used in many fields due to its outstanding performance characteristics and good process characteristics during the welding process. For most companies, the use of automatic robot laser welding systems can also save costs.

The Development History of Laser Welding
As a laser processing technology, the laser welding technology was used in the welding of thin and small parts as early as 1964. With the rapid development of the automobile industry and the continuous improvement of people's needs, in order to meet the requirements of safety, environmental protection and energy saving, and to realize the development of automation, flexibility and intelligence in the manufacture of welding products, laser welding technology began to be used in the field of automobile body manufacturing in the 1980s.
In the mid-1980s, laser welding as a new technology received widespread attention in Europe, the United States, and Japan. In 1985, the German Thyssen Steel Company cooperated with the German Volkswagen Company and successfully adopted the world's first tailor-made laser welded blank on the Audi100 body. In the 1990s, major automobile manufacturers in Europe, North America, and Japan began to use laser tailor-welded blank technology on a large scale in car body manufacturing. Both the laboratory and the practical experience of the automobile manufacturer have proved that tailor-welded blanks can be successfully applied to the manufacture of automobile bodies. According to relevant statistics, 50% to 70% of auto parts in European and American industrialized countries are processed by laser, among which laser welding and cutting are the main ones. Laser welding has become a standard process in automobile production.

The Working Principle of Laser Welding
The principle of laser welding is that the laser beam emitted by the laser generator focuses on the surface of the welding wire to heat, so that the welding wire is heated and melted, wets the steel plate on the car body, fills the gap between the steel plate joints, and forms a weld to finally achieve a good connection. After welding, a brazing connection between the copper welding wire and the steel plate is formed. The copper welding wire and the steel plate are respectively different elements, and the welded layer formed by them is the fusion of the two different elements after high temperature. Compared with traditional spot welding, this welding method has better welding quality, faster speed, and higher strength of the welded part.

The Advantages of Laser Welding Solutions
As an important application of laser processing, metal laser welding has the irreplaceable advantages of traditional welding. It has been widely used in metal processing, door and window shelves, 3C electronics, precision cabinets, sheet metal products, staircase elevators, automotive electronics, new energy batteries and other industries.
Compared with other welding technologies, the main advantages of laser welding are:
1. Rapid laser welding speed with large depth and minimized deformation.
2. Available for welding at room temperature or under special conditions.
3. Excellent laser welding results to refractory materials such as titanium, quartz, etc.
4. Large power density when the laser is focused.
5. Suitable for micro welding. After the laser beam be focused, there is a small spot which can be accurately positioned (the smallest spot can reach 0.1mm).
6. The laser welding is suitable for welding the hard-to-access parts by non-contact long-distance welding, featuring high flexibility.
7. It provides precise welding conditions as the laser beam can realize the beam splitting in line with time and space.

The System Configurations of Robotic Laser Welding Systems
The robotic laser welding systems are usually composed by the laser, light guide system, remote control box, laser processing head, welding robotic arm, robot control cabinet, welding power supply and etc. The commonly used laser processing head is installed at the end of the body arm of a six-axis welding robotic arm, and its motion trajectory and laser processing parameters are provided by the robot digital control system. According to the application, it can be divided into laser cutting, laser welding, laser cladding laser processing head. For more information about the robotic laser welding solutions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.