FACE TO FACE
TRUMPF showcased a new laser welding solution for electronics at INTECH.
Image: TRUMPF.
Woo-Sik Chung, TRUMPF, highlighted the new laser welding solution. liquid cooling modules that must be leak-tight, as well as for housing assemblies and loadbearing structures.
However, Stephan Mayer cautioned sheetmetal manufacturers against‘ putting all their eggs in one basket’ …..
“ The data centre market is growing hugely right now but we do not know when the bubble will burst, so we advise our customers to purchase sheet metal machinery that is flexible enough to service more than one market and can be easily reprogrammed to process different material thicknesses,” he said.
New welding solution
ISMR was shown a new laser welding solution from TRUMPF that is designed to make the production of power electronics for electric cars more efficient and reliable. The highly automated process enables users to weld copper electrical conductors directly onto copper busbars. Manufacturers can now replace the screw connections traditionally used with this new technology. TRUMPF demonstrated the new process, alongside its partner Yazaki, at INTECH.
The new laser solution creates a firmly fused joint with low electrical resistance, thereby making the power electronics more efficient. The process is primarily intended for use in the manufacture of voltage distributors in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
At the heart of the solution is the interaction between laser, sensor technology and AI. First, an AI-supported image processing system identifies the component and positions the laser beam with pixel-level precision. A 9kW fibre laser then welds the copper strands. During the process, an optical coherence tomography( OCT) system monitors the welding depth in real time to prevent the component from being welded right through.
After welding, another camera-based system checks the quality of the weld seam. AI is also used here. A few training images are sufficient for an assessment of seam quality. All process steps, from component recognition through welding to quality control, take place in a single laser station.
“ The entire process takes well under a second and is therefore designed for highproductivity series production. Our goal is seamless process control in real time, without slowing down the production flow,” said Woo- Sik Chung, who is responsible for the new laser welding solution at TRUMPF.
The 9kW fibre laser is suitable for welding copper to a depth of several millimetres at high speed. For larger cross-sections, users can employ more powerful TRUMPF lasers.
Safety in focus
Safety was a key focus for TRUMPF at INTECH. The company, along with other European machine manufacturers, has already
Innovations on display at INTECH
INTECH was the launch pad for two new variants of TRUMPF’ s TruBend 3000 series of bending machines. In addition to the existing model with 130 tonnes of press force, the series is now available in 100- and 170-ton versions. The TruBend 5000 press brake at INTECH featured the new ACB Smart AI function( building on TRUMPF’ s ACB Smart angle measurement technology). ACB Smart AI adds statistical analysis of the first few bends. At INTECH, visitors were also able to access TRUMPF’ s Tool Setup Optimiser for bending through Osean software for production planning and control.
At INTECH, the company also showcased its TruMatic 5000 punchlaser machine with vision equipment( using cameras to provide a continuous view inside the work area), allowing fabricators to monitor several machines at once. New Equipment Manager Punch software was also demonstrated to simplify punching machine set-up. made enormous efforts to develop measures against unsafe machines crossing borders into Europe with the responsible authorities.
“ For some years now, the mechanical engineering industry in Europe has been registering a steadily increasing number of unsafe machines entering the European market. These pose an enormous safety risk to users, ranging from eye damage or crushing injuries to fatalities. In addition, unsafe machines threaten the existence of the companies that operate them, as they are liable in the event of damage,” said Stephan Mayer.
“ At the moment, 0.0082 % of equipment that comes over the border is physically inspected. The European CE standard must be protected. We are campaigning widely and explaining the threat to manufacturers and operators. Better enforcement is needed, with more safety inspectors and higher penalties for those who do not stick to the rules,” he added.
Hagen Zimer agreed with Stephan Mayer’ s assessment of the situation.
“ Unsafe machines from non-European countries are often accompanied by subsidised price dumping, which creates an enormous distortion of competition. Integrating safety into a quality machine costs, on average, around 10-20 % of the overall equipment cost for CE conformity. We are not afraid to face competition, but we want a level playing field( equivalent benchmarking) with machinery that is imported into Europe because safety standards must not be compromised. We are rigorous about building safety into our machinery,” he commented.
“ However, systematic and long-term solutions can only be found at a European level. To protect users and operators from physical damage and to maintain the competitiveness of European machine manufacturers, decisive steps must therefore be taken by politicians,” concluded Zimer. n
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ISMR May 2026 | ismr. net | 29