Laser welding is crucial in the manufacturing of e-mobility components, especially for parts made of copper and aluminum. However, welding these materials poses significant challenges due to their high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, leading to insufficient penetration depth and reduced mechanical properties. Beam shaping offers a promising solution to overcome these challenges by modifying the laser beam's spatial intensity distribution. The use of beam-shaping optics can significantly enhance the welding process by controlling the energy distribution and improving the weld's quality.
In this study, we demonstrate the successful welding of aluminum battery cases and copper busbars using beam shaping with multi-plane light conversion. Multi-plane light conversion is a novel technique that enables the creation of complex intensity profiles by redirecting the laser beam through multiple planes of phase modulators. Our results show that beam shaping significantly improves the weld quality by reducing spatters and pores, and enhances the mechanical properties of the weld. The multi-plane light conversion technique offers an additional degree of freedom in shaping the intensity profile, enabling further optimization of the weld's quality, and present a higher depth of field enabling a more robust process.
The successful welding of copper and aluminum components using beam shaping offers a promising solution for the reliable and efficient manufacturing of e-mobility components.