Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Lightweight Construction

© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.

Lightweight construction in mobility is crucial: It enables long ranges and lowers energy consumption. Laser technology plays a central role here, as it is flexible, wear-free and fast, and makes the use of adhesives superfluous. Fraunhofer ILT is developing innovative processes for processing fiber composites and for combining different materials in lightweight construction. This reduces processing times and makes it possible to produce components in an automated process.

© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen / Volker Lannert.

Laser cutting

Lightweight construction in mobility is crucial for increasing range and lowering energy consumption. Laser technology plays a central role here, as it is flexible, wear-free and fast and makes the use of adhesives superfluous.

Fraunhofer ILT develops innovative processes for processing fiber composites and combining different materials in lightweight construction. This reduces processing times and makes it possible to produce components in an automated process.

Plastic-metal connections

For reasons of cost and stability, lightweight components are often assembled from different materials. This requires a technique that reliably joins dissimilar materials with short process times. In particular, joining plastic and metal poses a challenge; direct, high-strength welding of this combination is not possible. A remedy lies in joining processes in which a porous surface is generated on the metal surface – with undercuts and defined roughness – using high-speed laser microstructuring or ultrashort pulse lasers. In the subsequent laser-based joining process, the plastic is selectively melted at the joining point between the metal and plastic so that it can permanently adhere to the previously processed metal surface.

© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.

Laser beam joining

Laser transmission welding is ideal for manufacturing complex fiber composite components from several individual elements. It has the advantage that the necessary energy is deposited directly in the contact zone of the components to be joined, meaning the component remains otherwise unaffected. Joining part preparations and long curing times are no longer necessary and the process can be integrated directly into the production flow. When the radiation propagation is optically adjusted, materials with a high fiber content can also be joined in such a way that the requirements for robust processes in series production can be met.

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© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen / Andreas Steindl.

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