Press Release: Laserline at EuroBLECH 2022

Laserline to exhibit at EuroBLECH 2022: New solutions for aluminum and copper welding

Additional highlights: Corrosion and wear-resistant coatings

At EuroBLECH 2022 Laserline will exhibit a broad spectrum of diode-laser-based solutions for industrial volume manufacturing. Key topics at the event will be on hot wire aluminum welding, welding of copper with 3 kW cw blue diode lasers, as well as corrosion and wear-resistant coatings, for example as brake disc claddings to reduce urban particulate emissions

Mülheim-Kärlich, October 12, 2022 – Diode laser specialist Laserline will present a raft of new solutions at EuroBLECH 2022 (October 25-28 in Hannover, Germany, Hall 26, Booth J52) for materials processing of aluminum, copper and steel components. Among the highlights are a newly developed process for hot wire aluminum welding from Lincoln Electric that offers greatly enhanced process stability compared to conventional aluminum bonding processes. The new process also results in a reduced heat input into the base material as well as ensuring higher process speed in combination with a high-quality bead. Through joule pre-heating of the wire, the new process can better utilize the available laser energy and thereby optimize the effectiveness of the application. Aside from conventional bonding processes there are also benefits for laser cladding applications.

For the increasingly important area of industrial copper processing, and with applications in electronics manufacturing, in electrical drive technology, and in additive manufacturing, Laserline presents the world’s first blue diode laser system with 3 kW cw optical output. This currently represents the highest available power for industry lasers at blue wavelengths, a region of the spectrum that is far better absorbed by copper than infrared wavelengths. The increased optical output to 3 kW with a beam parameter product of 30 mm.mrad specifically at ~445 nm wavelength enables faster processing of larger cross-sections but with reduced heat input. This translates to a doubling both of the welding depth when joining sheet metal and of the viable cross-section when bonding hairpins, and ideally positions the new blue diode lasers in industry sectors such as the production of larger electric drive motors, and for the heavy construction of more massive components from copper and copper alloys.

A third focus of Laserline's presence at EuroBLECH 2022 will be powder-based cladding solutions for the realization of corrosion and wear coatings, including a high-speed and series-capable process for hard coating brake discs. This process enables the application of very thin yet resistant coatings that provide both corrosion and abrasion protection. Together these properties can reduce brake dust generation by up to 90 percent and thus represent an important contribution to reducing health-critical urban particulate emissions.

All of these solutions are made accessible at the trade show booth through the availability of component samples as well as through videos and animated presentations.