INNOVATED WELDING TECHNOLOGY

FSO - Innovative welding technology helps to reduce weight

 The latest innovation from Scansonic makes it possible to implement fillet welds (using our "RLW-A" product) and also edge welds ("FSO"). The welding thus occurs on the facing sides of the sheet pair (the edges of two metal sheets that are lying adjacent to each other). A clever technology uses optical sensors to detect the sheet metal stack. Compensating movements from the integrated scanner systems are then able to precisely position the laser light on the union between the sheets.

The well-established "I (square-groove) weld on a lap joint" method is most typically used for laser welding. The very high power of the laser is concentrated on a small surface, so that economically feasible deep-penetration welding is possible.  Until now, other weld geometries were hardly feasible because of inaccuracies in the handling and clamping systems commonly employed, and because of the workpiece's dimensional tolerances.

The FSO processing optics enable reliable, front-face laser beam exposure, regardless of the robot's actual positioning accuracy, the workpiece, or the clamps in use. This self-guiding system is also equipped with oscillation technology (laser spot oscillation in the X and Y directions with up to 1 kHz) so that materials which are difficult to weld can nonetheless be welded together.

The FSO, with its facing surface welding technique, thus provides the economical application option which many users have longed required.  This is because the unique seam geometry enables  particularly short connecting flanges to be used. The result is reduced weight and less material for the component. The FSO also features an outstanding integrated clamping system which presses together the workpieces locally with up to 700 N. It is even possible to join together three metal sheets in one process step – thanks to our "Millistep" process, developed in cooperation with Volkswagen.

Test results from Scansonic's laser application centre indicate that this innovative aluminium-aluminium bond can be welded together with no hot cracking. The lab results also show that, owing to the beam oscillation technology used, the galvanized sheets can be joined together with no gap and almost no welding splatter. Mixed compound bonding, the tests show, is also possible.