Applications
Laser welding is widely used in many commercial applications including automotive, electronic components packaging, medical and other industries. Compare to alternative welding methods laser offers clean, emission free process with no material expulsion and minimum thermal and mechanical load. Plastic components that are to be laser welded do not require energy directors as there will be no material collapse during the weld process. Instead a simple flat to flat design with consistent contact area should be utilized. These qualities make laser a very attractive candidate for certain applications.
In automotive industry most sensors and other electronic components have to be enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing to avoid moisture damage. Often alternative methods yield poor results or may require a longer process window. Another challenge for processes such as vibration or ultrasonic welding is potential damage to sensitive electronics due to excessive heat or movement of the part. Laser energy can be focused precisely at the weld area, hence sealing the plastics without damaging internal components. Among others automotive applications requiring hermetic seal are assemblies of fluid containers and filter housings.
Laser welded lines are crisp and clean, therefore laser is used in applications where visual appeal is also important. Such applications include assembly of instrument panel clusters, hand tool or cell phone display windows and many other plastic assemblies that are one way or another visible to the user. The number of cosmetic application continues to expend as more and more laser weldable colored materials become available.
The introduction of Leister’s Globo welding technology enhanced and simplified there-dimensional welding of plastics. This technology eliminates the use of an ordinary clamping device by delivering both clamping pressure and laser energy by means of a glass sphere, rotating freely on an air bearing. The Globo laser head is usually attached to a robotic arm so it can be moved around a 3D path. The Globo welding technology is currently used for tail and head light assembly by automotive and other industries that deal with assembly of complex parts.
Medical applications also benefit from precise and clean variety of plastic welding methods offered by laser. Nevertheless the most popular one is Mask welding method developed by Leister. In this process a curtain of laser light is moved across a mask sealing areas where mask allows the laser light to go through and leaving out those that are masked out. The unbeatable advantage of this method compare to tracing with laser spot around the desired contour is the speed. The mask may contain a very complex pattern, yet the part can be wealded with one swap of laser curtain. Another advantage of this process is fine, down to 100µm weld line resolution, otherwise unavailable. Mask welding is used to weld around cannels of micro fluidic arrays. Such devices are usually used as a drug delivery system or media containing solutions under investigation.
The number of laser applications increases every year as this technology evolves, offering new advantages. We welcome the opportunity to help our customers determine if their particular application may benefit from laser welding. Leister offers complimentary material compatibility evaluation and feasibility testing in our laser lab. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have and to discuss your application.
© Leister Technologies LLC 2007.