Laser cutting and welding of thin sheets

High precision with the laser: From process development to the production system

With a highly focused laser beam, materials such as sheet metal, plastic, fiber composites or glass can be processed with extremely high precision. Laser cutting and welding processes are highly productive since high laser power and dynamic beam deflection can easily be combined to achieve repeatable accuracies in the micrometer range. We develop and optimize production processes and find the optimum parameters for your application. We are also active in constructing plants, build building prototypes and testing setups of machines and modules according to your specifications and requirements.

Cutting and welding with optimum parameters 

Cutting and welding different materials and geometries pose a few challenges, however. In the case of thin sheets, for example, handling and clamping the thin sheet without bending it is critical. When it comes to laser cutting, the process parameters have to be set correctly so that burrs do not form, edges do not oxidize, and the geometry of the component does not change. When welding with high laser power, the challenge lies in the correct parameterization. Incorrect parameters can create holes in the material because the laser power is too high.

Customized systems for cutting and welding thin materials

Fraunhofer IPT develops laser processes in numerous industrial and research projects. Thanks to our many years of cooperation with industry, we are familiar with the requirements for process and system development of laser modules and systems. We would be pleased to develop cutting and welding solutions suitable for your application. The systems we have developed can process materials as thin as 0.02 mm. We can even produce complex geometries and features with dimensions as small as 0.2 mm with the laser without errors.