A 1200W laser is ablating the 30μm thick aluminium coating from a tailored blank sheet. The process is applied on the strip of the blank that will be laser welded in the next step. The aluminum coating is removed locally in order to eradicate aluminosilicate contamination of the steel weld and thus ensure high weld strength. Such tailored blank components are used in the construction of automotive frames. Weld integrity and strength is essential in guaranteeing safety during accidental impact.
Powerlase has installed a number of these ablation systems in various production lines around the world, capable of ablating with speed up to 20m/min, and with the capacity to boost production speed to nearly 40m/min. The laser systems in combination with the bespoke processing heads provided by Powerlase offer the highest process yield (near 100%) and highest vibration and material variation tolerance in the industry today.
