Remote Laser Welding Solutions For Automotive Doors

The manufacture of body-in-white is a major part of the manufacturing process of automobiles, and the door, as a key component of the body-in-white, plays the roles of sealing and bearing, etc. Because of its high quality requirements for appearance and strong sense of user experience, the accuracy of its manufacture largely determines the quality of the entire vehicle and the effect of the view. For this reason, high-precision and high-quality door welding technology has emerged. Laser welding technology, especially remote laser welding technology, has become a standard process in the manufacture of automotive parts due to its unique advantages of high-quality weld seams, high strength and good structural rigidity, small heat-affected zones, virtually no deformation of parts, and high reproducibility of weld seams (high process accuracy, safety and speed).

In remote laser welding, the laser beam is guided by a system of fast-moving mirrors in a scanning galvanometer to precisely target the weld spot and focus on the workpiece surface. At the same time, the robot continuously moves the scanning galvanometer. In this way, the travel time between weld seams is dramatically shortened and cycle times are reduced, resulting in higher part yields and significant improvements in manufacturing efficiency.

When applied specifically to door welding, remote laser welding technology also needs to overcome challenges in specific application environments. The welding of door materials is divided into two main categories: steel and aluminum welding. For aluminum welding, laser oscillation technology must be used. Modern door welding focuses on seamless integration and requires higher frequency welding of long fillet welds. The laser beam must therefore be guided with a high degree of precision and, in the case of steel and aluminum, only very small deviations are tolerated. Differences in geometry, inclination angles and material gaps of complex weld seams can lead to differences in welding parameters and therefore require adaptive parameter adjustment. At the same time, increasing the welding beat and reducing the ineffective welding time is always a sought-after goal for any production company.

To meet these challenges, ABICOR BINZEL and Blackbird technology have joined forces to build a one-stop solution. The solution not only combines ABICOR BINZEL's sales and service network, but also brings higher economic benefits, including process reliability, precise welds and repeatable weld characteristics, which can be automated worldwide through a global service network.

For specific product selection, we recommend the intelliWELD Ⅱ PR configuration. It is the perfect remote laser welding solution for door welding in welding scenarios where seam tracking capabilities are required, or for single-mode laser and large workpiece welding needs.

This configuration is not only capable of welding steel alloys and aluminum alloys, but also supports the welding process by superimposing laser beam oscillation on the welding motion. This oscillation technology makes it possible to adaptively bridge the continuously measured gap between the upper and lower panels to create fillet welds. Dynamic welding (OTF) allows the oscillating lens or workpiece to be moved during the weld process, which further reduces the weld cycle time and dramatically increases productivity. In addition, the Blackbird controller can perform OTF welding with a robot or one or two linear axes.

By employing the OCT seam tracking function, it is possible to synchronize gap detection with welding, adjust the weld zone graphics and oscillations, adjust the gap in real time, and even inspect the surface quality of the weld in the post-processing area, completing the measurements in real time, even in low-resolution mode. Proven OCT sensor technology ensures that the optimal profile of the workpiece is captured before, during and after welding.

In addition, a powerful software control system stabilizes the welding process. In the software control system, customized parameter settings for different process degrees of freedom are available, and tracking and simulation are achieved at any time by moving the scanning head by the manipulator as well as by moving the laser beam over the workpiece. The visualization interface then keeps the operator informed of the system's operating status at all times.