Remote Laser Welding of Automotive Components

Remote Laser Welding of Automotive Components
Bo Lindgren – VP of Engineering
April 12, 2012
Agenda
Van Rob Inc.
Growth of laser welded components
Products in production
Manufacturing Equipment
Dimensional stability
Design to be stronger
Quality systems
Conclusions
2
Global Footprint
Van Rob Inc
Canada
• Corporate Headquarters
• Windsor Sales & Marketing
• Aurora, Ontario
• Richmond Hill, Ontario
• North York, Ontario
Mexico
▲ Queretaro, Mexico
▲ Puebla, Mexico
China
▲ Suzhou, China
United States
Kirchhoff Gruppe
Ireland
Van Rob – Kirchhoff (VRK)
Poland
■ Letterkenny, Ireland
■ Mielec I&II, Poland
■ Gliwice I&II, Poland
Germany
Hungary
■ Iserlohn, Germany
■ Attendorn, Germany
■ Olpe, Germany
■ Saarlouis, Germany
■ Esztergom, Hungary
Japan
■ Hamamatsu, Japan
Korea
■ Cheonan, Korea
• Manchester Tennessee
• Tecumseh, Michigan
France
■ Ymeray, France
Portugal
■ Ovar, Portugal
■ Cucujaes, Portugal
Spain
■ Figueruelas, Spain
Russia
■ St Petersburg
Growth of Laser Welded Products in Van - Rob
Background
These following slides are showing how the laser process can increase
sales of different components.
Using laser welding cells to achieve very high dimensional accuracy in larger
welded modules.
Weight saving is on everyone's mind.
The latest contracts have been won in tight competition against other
concepts and manufacturers.
5
Steel Rad Support Manufacturing Location
Manufacturing location Aurora
Canada started 2006
Aurora
6
Manufacturing Locations – Map of all locations of
Laser Based Manufacturing
Aurora
Michigan
Manchester, TN
Arlington, TX
Hermosillo
VRK
Puebla
7
Products in Manufacturing at Present Time
Pick-up Steel Radiator Support
GM steel Rad-Support
production started in 2006
Volume 600,000 to
1,000,000
6 cells with Co2 laser
welding sources were used
in the manufacturing
systems for welding of the
profiles
Laser-welded steel profiles
Inner and outer post
Upper and lower tie-bar
10
Inner post and outer post welding
• Uncoated material
• Material 1.0mm thick.
• HSLA material 420 mpa
Butt Welding of inner and outer post.
Seatback Manufacturing
Seatback panels
Volume 500,000 / year
13
Installations of Cross Car Beams
Instrument panel beams
volume Total 580,000
14
Process Equipment
Layout for Current MIG Weld Program
OP 10
OP 20
OP 30
OP 40
16
Current Process
Different types of mig welding cells with 2-3 robots
Weld speeds are around 1meter / minute
1.
2.
3.
4.
High heat input to the part resulting in high distortion
Multiple fixtures
High amount of people
Based on weld access of weld torch, part has to be made in multiple
steps
5. Fasteners have to be welded in sub assembly's before final welding
of beam
17
REMOTE LASER SOURCE
One laser source used with beam switching to service multiple weld
cells
Beam switching increases the laser utilization without significantly
impacting the cycle time depending on the part
We are using 6 kW disk lasers
18
LASER WELDING HEAD
Programmable focus optic (PFO) welding head (3-D)
Laser transmitted to head through fiber optics from laser source
Elliptical weld envelope dictated by the offset distance from the work piece (for
example: a 450 mm offset creates a 320 mm by 190 mm elliptical envelope)
Highlights From Our Laser Welding Cells
Less tooling due to faster welding (each tool has more clamping units)
Less operators??
Flexible
Simple operator stations
High mobility, easy to move within the plant or to other plants
Lower capital cost
20
Dimensional Stability
Laser Welding Experimental Setup
10mm
Gap
Laser Welding Cell
Vertical
Sensor
IP Tube
Horizontal
Sensor
Experimental Sample-1
MIG welding Sample
Laser welding Sample
23
Laser vs. MIG Welding – Heat Distortion
Comparisons
Horizontal Sensor
Vertical Sensor
Part Vertical Distortion Comparison
D is to rtio n (m m )
1
0
-1 0
500
1000
1500
-2
-3
-4
-5
Measurement Point
Laser welding cell
Laser Welding Sample
MIG welding cell
MIG Welding Sample
MIG welding
Laser welding
Welding Heat Distortion:
Laser: Vertical 1.3mm vs. Horizontal
0.5mm
MIG: Vertical: 3.7mm. Horizontal
0.5mm
Design to Make Stronger
New Test Method and Setup for Laser Welding
Prototype and MIG Welding Production Parts
Round bar
allowing for
rotation
A new method is developed to test real
CCB weld strength quantitatively
Instron Machine Peel Test Setup
26
Peel Test Comparison of Brkt I/Pnl to cowl top RH
MIG Welding Production Parts
Failure mode
Laser Welding Sample
1.8 mm
Laser Welding Shape
Peel Test Force (KN)
Welding length
Laser
welding
Raw material
13.68
2 C ( 28 mm/each )
1 U (( 21.5 mm/each )
MIG welding
HAZ
8.678
3 x 20mm
Laser Welding / MIG Welding Peel Test
Comparison of G/B Side Frame
1 mm
MIG Welding Production Parts
Laser Welding Sample
Laser Welding Shape
Failure mode
Peel Test Force (KN)
Welding length
Laser welding
Raw material
5.55
2 C( 28 mm/each )
MIG welding
HAZ
2.97
2 X 20mm
Laser Welding / MIG Welding Peel Test
Comparison of G/B frame Brkt
1.2 mm
MIG Welding Production Parts
Laser Welding Sample
Laser Welding Shape
Failure mode
Peel Test Force (KN)
Welding length
Laser welding
Raw material
6.86
2 C ( 28 mm/each )
MIG welding
HAZ
4.87
2 X 20mm
Lap Joints Configurations
U shape
C shape
S shape
Quality systems
QUALITY OVERVIEW:
Laser Welding Quality Analysis
Weld Watcher 4D Laser Welding Monitor
Weld watcher 4D system overview (left)
4D operator interface screen (below)
Weld Cross Section
3 key dimensions for
lap joint weld :
C
h
Penetration
W
g
Concavity
Width at interface
Weld strength is
determined by weld
width at interface of
two sheets
33
Conclusions
Why we are designing with laser welding
Less weight (no weld-wire, use of thinner material possible)
Less tooling due to faster welding
Less operators
Higher dimensional quality, less weld distortion
Flexible
Quick-change
Simple operator stations
High mobility, easy to move to other plants
Lower energy consumption with higher efficiency lasers
Lower capital cost
35
Designing with Laser Welding
Weld from thin to thick
Understand your weld joint
Understand your GD&T
Know your materials
Stamping dies have to produce higher quality parts
Ventilation
Redundancy
Laser lab
Quality inspection systems
36
Thank You for your attention
Questions
37