Luton-based laser and technology company
Trumpf Ltd will be showing that with laser technology ‘virtually any manufacturing method can be realised with high quality and resource efficiency’ at
Advanced Engineering taking place 1-2 November at the NEC, Birmingham (Stand K165).
The company will emphasise its expertise in e-mobility and aerospace with a special focus on applications in satellite, rocket, and engine production. From electrode production to the finished battery pack, Trumpf serves the entire process chain in battery production. In the past fiscal year alone, the company has sold more than 1,000 lasers for battery production, with most of today’s applications using at least 3kW of power to boost productivity — as shown by the example of a recent busbar welding system.
Based on an 8kW TruDisk 8000 laser, this latest system features a combination of new processing optics, new weld-penetration-depth sensors, and software; and with all components optimally matched, the system speeds up battery cell production, brings down the reject rate, and improves the performance of the finished product as the improved quality of the joint between the cells reduces electrical resistance, thereby extending the range of electric cars.
Another application is can-cap welding, the media-tight sealing of the cover (cap) with the battery housing (can) using Trumpf lasers to effect seals that are free of pores and cracks. High quality is particularly important here as even the smallest cracks could lead to dangerous battery malfunctions.
3-D printing continues to play a pivotal role in the future of industrial production, and Trumpf provides solutions for both relevant laser technologies — laser metal fusion (LMF) and laser metal deposition (LMD). The company also offers a complete solution comprising digitalisation, services and additive production systems; visitors to Advanced Engineering will also learn how Trumpf has combined two products — it’s a new TruPrint 5000 with the TruDisk 1020 laser — to create the TruPrint Green Series. This combination of green laser and additive manufacturing makes it possible to 3-D print highly reflective materials such as pure copper, copper alloys, and precision metals.