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The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS ( Germany ).
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“ Laser welding is set to revolutionise steel construction .”
A new and innovative laser welding process is designed to be faster and gentler on materials , whilst cutting energy usage and costs .
As energy and resource efficiency gain even more significance in today ’ s world , the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS ( Germany ) has worked with its partners to develop an alternative for conventional steel construction that not only constitutes a process technology solution , but also forms the basis for hardware and laser safety .
This solution facilitates gentler machining of high-strength materials , significantly reducing energy consumption and costs while greatly increasing process speed . The energy input required for the component can be reduced by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional joining processes , it told ISMR . Subsequent
The energy input required for the component can be reduced by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional joining processes
straightening of the component can be eliminated entirely from the process .
The innovative welding process was presented on 16 March 2022 at the Hannover Messe Preview and will be showcased ( from 30 May - 2 June 2022 ) at the Hannover Messe 2022 on the joint Fraunhofer booth in Hall 5 , Stand A06 . This project was funded by the Saxony State Ministry of Economic Affairs , Labour and Transport ( Germany ).
Researchers at the Fraunhofer IWS used an indoor crane segment , made of S355J2 structural steel ( 4 x 0.75 by 0.5m ), to demonstrate that the laser MPNG welding process reduces energy costs by up to 80 per cent and filler material consumption by up to 85 per cent , compared to conventional arc welding processes . © Fraunhofer IWS .
New laser welding process
Many technical structures feature some form of steel construction . Whether it is a container ship ; railway vehicle ; bridge or wind turbine tower ; any one of these structures can have several hundred metres of welding seams . Conventional industrial processes , such as metal active gas welding or submerged arc welding , are usually employed for this purpose .
“ However ,” commented the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS , “ There is a problem . Due to the low intensity of the arc , a large proportion of the energy expended is not actually used in the welding process but is lost to the component in the form of heat . The energy required for post-weld treatment is often of a similar magnitude to that required for the welding process itself .”
“ These energy-intensive processes cause significant thermal damage to the material and result in severe distortion of the structure , which then demands very costly straightening work afterwards ,” emphasised Dr . Dirk Dittrich , who heads the Laser Beam Welding group at Fraunhofer IWS .
A team of researchers led by Dr . Dittrich has developed an energy-efficient alternative , together with industrial partners , as part of the “ VE-MES – Energy-efficient and low-distortion
32 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR April 2022