Laser welding is widespread and finding new applications
- High weld speed
- Minimum heat deposition and deformation
- Automotive applications
- Body panels (tailor-welded blanks)
- Body-in-white assembly
- Component assembly
- Weld integrity and dimensional control – critical
- In contrast with current quality control based on process monitoring, which is
- Indirect, and has
- No guaranteed correlation with final condition of weld.
- Automated inspection after weld is completed is preferred
Spot welding is a critical process for auto body assembly
- Weld area and strength are critical.
- Current inspection techniques are unreliable.
- Weak bonds are very difficult to detect.
Solution: laser ultrasonics
- Non-contact
- Fast areal scanning
- Small laser spots, ensuring high spatial resolution
- High bandwidth, for accurate measurement of bond strength
Image of spot weld