TRUMPF to introduce new solution for entry level automated laser welding
FARMINGTON, Conn., September 12, 2022 – At FABTECH 2022, booth B6309, TRUMPF will unveil a new solution to help sheet metal fabricators get started in automated laser welding. Fabricators no longer must choose between costly and time-consuming manual welding or large, automated systems that are expensive and complicated to operate. Enter the TruLaser Weld 1000, an entry level solution from TRUMPF which offers smaller companies the benefits of automated laser welding, boosting the productivity of their production processes to provide a real
competitive edge. The new system is particularly suitable for job shops that weld products such as electrical cabinets, sheet metal boxes and covers.
Simple to program
The TruLaser Weld 1000 makes programming quick and easy. Unlike most commercial systems that require several days of training, the information needed to run the TruLaser Weld 1000 can be obtained through e-learning. The system incorporates a robot whose operation is based on the concept of a collaborative robot, or cobot. However, its six-axis articulated arm enables it to move much faster and more precisely than a standard cobot, resulting in higher-quality weld seams and less non-productive time. The operator manually guides the robot over the seams on the part to be welded and presses a button to mark the relevant waypoints. Then, the software creates the weld program. “Depending on the part, this style of programming – where you simply guide the robot along the seam – takes a matter of minutes. So, it’s also a good choice for
small-batch production,” says Masoud Harooni, head of the welding technology product group at the TRUMPF Inc. Smart Factory. With a compact format and dimensions of 17 by 7 by 9 feet, the system fits most manufacturing facilities and can typically be installed and commissioned within a single day.
Double the work area at the touch of a button
Efficiency is a key advantage of the TruLaser Weld 1000. The work area is divided into two sections with a partition. While the robot welds a part on one side of the partition, the operator can load and unload on the other. Once the welding process is finished, the robot automatically switches to the other side along a linear axis and starts work on the next part. This design saves time and boosts productivity. If the operator wants to weld larger parts, the partition can be raised automatically to provide a work area that is double the size. To maximize safety, TRUMPF
developers installed a wall behind the robot to ensure that no laser light can escape during welding. This keeps employees safe when they are working right next to the robot.
High-quality welding of thin sheets
TRUMPF uses a 3kW solid-state laser as the system’s beam source. The high-power laser energy rapidly penetrates the sheet when and where it is needed, making it easier to weld thinner sheets without distortion. In most cases, no post-processing is required, so companies can save time and cut costs. The TRUMPF laser system is also a great choice for processing thicker sheets.
TruLaser Weld 1000
A new entry level solution from TRUMPF, the TruLaser Weld 1000 offers smaller companies the benefits of automated laser welding. The TruLaser Weld 1000 creates a competitive edge by boosting productivity and is particularly well-suited for job shops that weld products such as electrical cabinets, sheet metal boxes and covers.
About TRUMPF
TRUMPF is a high-tech company offering manufacturing solutions in the fields of machine tools and laser technology. The company drives digital connectivity in the manufacturing through consulting, platform products and software. TRUMPF is a technology and market leader in highly versatile machine tools for sheet metal processing and in the field of industrial lasers. In 2020/21, the company employed 15,000 people and generated sales of about $4.2 billion. With over 80 subsidiaries, the TRUMPF Group is represented in nearly every European country as well as in North America, South America and Asia. The company has production facilities in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, Mexico and China. Find out more about TRUMPF at www.trumpf.com
FARMINGTON, Conn., January 21, 2022 – In booth 327 at Photonics West 2022, TRUMPF Inc. will showcase its TruMicro 2000 Series, TruMicro 6000 Series, TruFiber P Compact, and TruMark Station 7000 laser marking station with a TruMark 6030 laser marking system and VisionLine 3 feature recognition capability. TRUMPF will also display two Tool Bars highlighting its wide range of laser technology offerings and VCSEL laser diode technologies as part of its exhibit at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
New Glass Processing Optics for TruMicro Lasers
The TruMicro 2000 series laser is equipped with two of the latest innovations in optics for beam formation when cutting and welding glass: TOP Cleave and TOP Weld. TOP Cleave optics enable quick laser cutting of glass parts with excellent edge quality and nearly eliminates necessary post processing. TOP Weld makes it possible to weld glass with a top layer as thick as 8mm and also weld both glass to glass and glass to metal. TOP Weld can create a tight, hermetic seal to keep liquids and gases in or out. Both optics work with the fiber-based ultrashort pulse lasers in the TruMicro Series 2000, distinguished by its compact and light design. TruMicro Series 2000 solid-state lasers are tailored for precision micro-processing with an optimal combination of quality, productivity, and profitability.
The TruMicro 6330 ultrafast industrial laser also cuts glass and can separate flexible printed circuit boards. Designed for batch production in consumer electronics and other industries, the TruMicro 6330 is ideally suited for high-speed scanning applications such as cutting polymer stacks and processing OLED displays. Notable for strong performance, stability and quality, the ultrashort pulse lasers of the TruMicro Series 6000 generate laser pulses that can be linearly amplified to very high pulse energies.
TruFiber 200 P Compact
One of TRUMPF’s compact, fiber-based solid-state lasers, the TruFiber 200 P Compact will also be shown. This robust fiber laser resonator has a compact footprint, long service life, and patented technology that protects the laser from the damaging effects of back-reflected light, enabling it to process materials, such as copper, brass or gold, easily and productively. TruFiber P Compact lasers are suitable for a variety of applications including additive manufacturing and precision laser cutting and welding.
Laser Marking Station with TruMark 6030 and VisionLine 3
At the show, TRUMPF will be demonstrating a TruMark Station 7000 laser marking station featuring a TruMark 6030 laser marking system and VisionLine 3 feature recognition capability. The TruMark 6030 is a high-performance marking laser with 3D functionality. The laser’s outstanding beam quality and high power densities ensure clean material removal and high-contrast markings. The TruMark 6030 can be integrated quickly and easily into production systems and can reduce process time by up to 25 percent through its available high average power and pulse energy at the workpiece. The VisionLine 3 camera-based image processing product creates an additional level of safety during processing. VisionLine 3 automatically detects component positions before welding and aligns each job accordingly.
Also on Display: VCSEL and Other Laser Technology
The booth will also showcase TRUMPF’s wide range of other laser technology offerings, including the VCSEL laser diode technologies of TRUMPF Photonic Components. TRUMPF Photonic Components is a global technology leader supplying state-of-the-art VCSEL and photodiode solutions for the consumer electronics, datacom, industrial sensing and heating markets. Experts anticipate this growing market will drive the future of mobile electronics, autonomous driving, optical data communication, and quantum technology.
TRUMPF will be located at booth 327 in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Press kits will be available at the booth.
About TRUMPF
TRUMPF is a high-tech company offering manufacturing solutions in the fields of machine tools and laser technology. The Company drives digital connectivity in the manufacturing through consulting, platform products and software. TRUMPF is a technology and market leader in highly versatile machine tools for sheet metal processing and in the field of industrial lasers. In 2020/21, the company employed 15,000 people and generated sales of about 3.5 billion euros. With over 80 subsidiaries, the TRUMPF Group is represented in nearly every European country as well as in North America, South America and Asia. The company has production facilities in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, Mexico and China.
Laser technology is an important key to letting CO2 emissions be reduced in passenger cars. A multitude of laser-based innovations in automobile production contributes to achieving this goal. The following article provides an overview.
Coming generations of vehicles will be far lighter than their predecessors. Laser-based manufacturing processes play an important part in this progress. Examples include parts without flanges, the increasing use of aluminum, CFRP and other high-performance plastics, thermoforming and joining plastics to metals. All these innovations help to reduce vehicle weight, in turn extending the cruising range and shaving CO2 emissions.
Lightweight Vehicle Construction Thanks to Lasers When joining sheets with conventional spot welding it is necessary to overlap the edges. By comparison, welding with a laser beam makes possible flangeless designs. Here the individual sheets are first assembled by way of tongue-and-groove joints and then welded by the laser. This offers several advantages: processing time drops when compared with spot welding; the elements thus joined can be of differing materials and thicknesses; the resulting structures have no redundant material and thus save weight. In addition, the prepositioning of the parts one with another reduces the – otherwise enormous – effort for clamping technology, permitting simple and cost-favorable clamping aids.
Non-flanged structures, when compared with conventional spot welding, offer many benefits in regard to processing time, material use and the weight.
Where greater loads demand additional stability, reinforcing structures can be attached as needed. The corresponding structures – such as the underbody of a vehicle – can be made up with less tooling. Neither are any special tools required for this purpose, which have to be manufactured in an elaborate process when preparing for production. Instead, all the required steps in processing can be carried out by a standard laser welding robot.
One outstanding example of this process is the “StreetScooter” deployed by the German Post Office. It was engineered by an academic spin-off of the Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University at Aachen, Germany, and is built on an underbody made up without flanges. At present about 40 of these microvans are in trial use, which has been thoroughly successful to date.
Using Lasers Permits Innovative Mixes of Materials CFRP – carbon fiber reinforced plastic – is also being used more frequently in lightweight vehicle engineering, especially in vehicles powered solely by electricity. Laser technology also offers clear advantages when cutting and processing materials like this. In this way the incisions are made without touching the material or exerting any force whatsoever, ensuring that the shape and structure of the material remain unchanged. This eliminates all risk of warping, even in non-reinforced materials. Depending on the production process being used, cutting and processing can take place either before or after the CFRP parts have been shaped. When cutting blanks from carbon fiber materials, TRUMPF offers the laser systems in its TruFiber series; spatially shaped, 3D parts can be cut with the TruDisk beam sources made by TRUMPF. If CFRP – or a glass or carbon fiber mat already embedded in the binder – is to be cut, then the TRUMPF TruFlow series is an excellent choice. Here the laser melts away the fibers cleanly.
Carbon fiber reinforced plastics can be cut with the laser either before or after shaping. If desired, the pure carbon fiber mats can be cut prior to or after filling with the binding polymer.
Cutting a hardened CFRP part: for materials less than four millimeters thick, the laser works two to three times faster than a water jet or milling tool and produces a higher-quality cut.
Laser light enables woven parts to be smoothly cut to near net shape. No finishing work is required for the cut edges.
A further way to improve the production processes using laser technology is thermal joining of plastics to metallic materials – without the use of adhesives. Since metals and plastics have widely differing melting points, this would not be possible with traditional welding technology. Using a short-pulse laser makes it possible, however, to create a defined pattern of undercuts in the metal, into which the heated partner, made of plastic, is pressed. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened, the two materials are joined by a form-fit connection. Examinations of the tensile strengths in such connections show that the union once again attains the strength of the basic material. Connections made this way are pressure-proof and waterproof and remain stable even under dynamic loading.
Securely joining metal and fiber composites: an ultra-short pulse laser creates an undercut in the metal part, ensuring that the polymer and hot metal fuse together properly.
The Use of Lasers in Hotforming Hot stamping processes allow for considerable reductions in the weight of body parts. However, the hardened steels are too strong to be cut in a press. Laser technology presents an elegant solution for this problem, too. The parts are cut out by 3D laser cutting, without wear and without applying force. This tremendously productive technology can also be used for 2D cutting of the feedstock material prior to its being shaped in the press. Here optimized cutting patterns can save material. If model facelifts or derivatives require subsequent modifications, these can be effected simply by reprogramming the laser robot. No new punching tools need to be engineered and manufactured.
Conversely, laser light can also be used to induce partial softening to improve the formability in a closely defined area or to reduce the hazard of the material becoming brittle or breaking. The RF generators in the TruHeat series offered by TRUMPF are ideal for this purpose.
The beam of a laser can also be utilized to remove coatings from areas in the steel sheet in preparation for later welding. In other words, ablating an aluminum-silicon coating 10 to 25 microns thick. The process can be regulated so finely that the amount of aluminum remaining is adjusted exactly, enabling precise control of the material properties. The laser systems used here, such as the TRUMPF TruMicro series, can undertake the ablation described here with a velocity greater than 30 meters per minute.
3D laser cutting makes it possible to cut parts without wear and without applying force – and at high productivity.
In the following phases in the work, lasers can also apply lettering, marks, QR codes and the like. And lasers also serve to subsequently weld parts prepared by thermoforming.
Laser Technology Opens the Way for New Production Processes Even other approaches are offered by the techniques known as laser metal fusion (LMF) and laser metal deposition (LMD). Both processes are based on concepts such as those made familiar by 3D printing and additive manufacturing. They make it possible to produce parts that could not be manufactured at all with conventional processes. Complexity is free. This is true both in regard to their shape and in regard to the properties of the materials, especially since these innovative processes even permit combining differing materials within a single workpiece.
In laser metal fusion (LMF) an extremely fine metallic powder is applied uniformly to a metallic substrate and then melted or fused selectively with laser energy and allowed to harden. When using this process to create a workpiece, the 3D engineering data are “sliced” into individual layers 20 to 100 microns thick. The 2D image of each layer is the basis for the additive build-up of the workpiece. Exact control of the laser makes it possible to fuse each new layer of powder to the layers below – at the desired places and at the required material thickness.
In the case of laser metal deposition (LMD), the laser beam generates a weld pool on a metallic substrate, into which another material such as titanium, nickel, cobalt, tungsten-carbide or steel alloys is introduced as a powder. The powder melts and forms a layer which then coalesces with the substrate. LMD even makes it possible to create multi-layer workpieces which, if desired, can comprise several different bonded alloys.
Laser metal deposition (LMD) makes it possible to create multi-layer workpieces which, if need be, may comprise differing alloys which are bonded one with another.
The additive processes described here are already available today and in the coming years may be on par with conventional processes from an economic point of view. They can, by the way, also be used to apply structural reinforcements or additional structures to workpieces manufactured with other techniques. This adds flexibility to production processes in regard to the placement, geometry and size of the supplementary structure. And since additional material is attached only wherever it is really necessary, this technique once against saves weight in the finished part.
Perspectives for Novel Concepts But even the processes introduced up to this point by no means exhaust the options for using laser technology in vehicle engineering. Rather, they form the basis for numerous novel concepts. Only a single example is described at this juncture.
Remote fillet welding makes it possible to weld two workpieces at an overlapped seam. When compared with the laser welding normally used today, the amount of material can be further reduced by shortening the flanges in the overlapping zone. The seam is then welded by the laser beam direct in the fillet created here, requiring no additional filler material. One example of an application is welding seams in the frames for vehicle doors.
This process does, however, require the highest positioning accuracy for the laser beam. This can be achieved by using appropriate sensors to register the orientation of the workpiece and continuously re-regulate the position of the laser beam.
To summarize, laser-based processes make it possible to produce vehicle bodies with lower weights and to do so in different ways. This makes laser processing an important advance along the way to reducing emission levels, increasing cruising ranges and beyond this, to speed up, reduce the costs for, and add flexibility to automotive production.
Ralf Kimmel is with TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH.
Wayne Trail, a subsidiary of Lincoln Electric, is a leader in the design of flexible, automated systems utilized within a wide range of metal forming, fabricating and joining industries. Its current market segments include robotics, welding and fixturing; press automation; tube bending and fabricating systems; tubular hydroform and structural frame automation; build-to-print manufacturing services; and laser processing systems.
At the time of Wayne Trail’s inception, the company provided the Dayton, Ohio-region automotive industry with tools, dies and fixtures. The company’s reputation and customer base grew throughout the years, allowing for the development of its engineering expertise and inclusion of automation through the production of automated tube-bending systems. In addition, Wayne Trail acquired companies, such as Livernois Press Automation, Flexible Systems Engineering and VIL Laser Systems, which added to its visibility within the industry, expanding its capabilities and, ultimately, leading to its acquisition by Lincoln Electric in 2012.
Since then, Wayne Trail has added to Lincoln Electric’s strength by not only incorporating the staff’s experience in design and system building, but also in adding their proven capabilities and success in laser welding systems. Lincoln Electric employs over 10,000 people globally among their 49 manufacturing operations, joint ventures and alliances in 19 countries, with 180 employees located at the Wayne Trail facility. As laser experts, Wayne Trail has added to Lincoln Electric’s vast product line for numerous industries and products, such as automotive and specialty powertrain component systems and both standard- and custom-designed cells for laser welding, cutting, brazing and more.
Despite its numerous innovative offerings, Wayne Trail’s laser welding system services prove among its most important. From the automotive and aerospace sectors to the battery and energy sectors, Wayne Trail continuously meets new challenges through their powertrain laser systems, multiple robotic laser cutting systems, laser ablation and brazing systems. The company adds to Lincoln Electric’s history as a leading global innovator, continuing to invest in research and development of laser processes – including brazing, ablation, laser die cleaning and laser/hot wire for cladding and welding applications – which hold the potential to help move technology further around the globe.
Over the last five years, Lincoln Electric has grown in automotive, aerospace and commercial system applications for multi-axis laser processing. Continued development in technology and the increase in reliability has allowed lasers to venture from the lab into real-world production systems. As lasers continue to prove themselves as a reliable method of joining and cutting of numerous materials within the industry, immense growth has occurred, creating new jobs and allowing for Lincoln Electric’s expansion into other areas of automation requirements.
With the availability of new materials and affordability of laser technology for customers, Lincoln Electric continues to weld, clean, cut and drill complex components for customers. To meet customers’ developing demands, Lincoln Electric’s engineering groups remain dedicated to developing and advancing innovative system concepts and tools. This was seen when Wayne Trail R&D engineers raised deposition rates and eliminated waste powder while using powder systems through the development of a hot wire process.
As a member of Laser Institute of America (LIA) since 1995, Wayne Trail has been able to maintain access to information and opportunities that span all laser-related industries. It has also allowed the company to collaborate and contribute to the industries it supports, through a presence at LIA conferences and expos, while also keeping Lincoln Electric close to the industry and helping it witness the growth of the laser.
Advanced manufacturing technology expert and EWI Additive Manufacturing Consortium Director Dr. Shawn Kelly will provide a keynote address on Laser Technology and Metal Additive Manufacturing at the 2016 Lasers for Manufacturing Event® (LME®), beginning at 2:15 PM on April 26 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Kelly, whose expertise resides in metal additive manufacturing (AM), material science and metallurgy, will present LME attendees with the truths and myths involved in the additive manufacturing of metal products. The current and future role of laser technology, a key reason for metal AM’s sustained growth, will also be discussed.
“3D printing, and to a lesser extent, additive manufacturing, are now part of the household lexicon; however, these two terms do not have the same meaning,” said Dr. Kelly. “It’s important to bust the variety of myths about the additive manufacturing of metals, especially as they apply to laser technology.”
Many of the same technical challenges facing the adoption of laser technology in manufacturing are also encountered in additive manufacturing. Dr. Kelly will present areas where AM can inform the laser community at large.
Dr. Kelly’s address at the fifth annual Lasers for Manufacturing Event is one of four keynote presentations, and several educational presentations, to be held from April 26-27 at LME 2016. Attendees at LME will also benefit from key leadership in the industry discussing the latest trends in cutting, welding, drilling and marking.
