Laser welding is an efficient and precise welding method that uses a laser beam with a high energy density as a heat source, and is one of the important aspects of the application of laser material processing technology. At present, with the adjustment of the energy structure and the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the automotive industry is developing in the direction of light weight. The use of new lightweight materials is one of the effective means to achieve the weight reduction of automobiles. With its unique advantages, laser welding plays an increasingly important role in connecting lightweight materials.
The weight reduction of automobiles is not "lightening the car weight" as understood literally, but to ensure the quality of the car, more new materials are applied to the functional parts and structural parts of the car to make the performance of the auto parts more excellent. The weight is lighter, which ensures that the energy consumption is reduced during the driving of the car, and multiple effects are achieved.
At present, automobile lightweight technology is mainly achieved through the following ways: the proportion of lightweight materials is rising, the application of aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, high-strength steels, plastics, powder metallurgy, ecological composite materials, and ceramics; Structural optimization and the modular design level of components have been continuously improved, such as the use of front-wheel drive, high rigid structure and ultra-light suspension structure to achieve lightweighting, computer-aided integration technology (including CAD / CAE / CAO) and structure The development of technologies such as analysis; prompts the automotive industry to continue to innovate in forming methods and connection technologies.
Among the above three ways to achieve automotive lightweighting, laser cutting and laser welding have become uniquely important technologies for achieving automotive lightweighting with unique advantages. As far as laser welding is concerned, laser welding is non-contact. In the process of processing, precision welding can be achieved without touching the product. Traditional connection methods, some are fastened by screws, some are glued, and cannot It meets the requirements of precision and ruggedness in modern automobile manufacturing, and the traditional method is not suitable for connecting new materials. In contrast, laser welding has achieved leapfrogging in process in terms of ruggedness, seamlessness, precision and cleanliness, and will become an important forming method in the future.