While conventional vehicle design disciplines such as car body design are established, electromobility-specific disciplines are in the technological orientation and ramp-up phase.
In particular, the demand for components like batteries, e-motors and power electronics is growing continuously. Aluminum alloys are chosen for parts like casted power electronics housings and heat exchangers made of sheet metal or extrusion profiles. Next to the material-specific challenges and mentioned requirements, the focus is on the gas-tight welding of the aluminum alloys.
This paper offers an insight into the requirements of these parts as well as the innovative optics approach with a novel MultiFocus solution and multi core fiber technologies. The material-specific challenges, especially for helium-tight welding of aluminum casted housings with forging alloys are characterized. This analysis is conducted using gas-tightness measurements, CT-scans, micrographs and high-speed recordings in order to elaborate the fundamental laser-material-process interdependencies and the correlation between process and resulting quality in terms of tightness.
Furthermore, high speed synchrotron recordings are conducted at the DESY and based on that a detailed evaluation of the laser and material interaction is conducted. This allows an explanation of the interactions for the prevention of pore formation in aluminum alloys and thus the characterization of the boundary conditions for a reliable process of gas-tight welding on aluminum alloys.