The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) is to introduce a new cost-efficient plant concept for laser welding of plastics in October, entitled Twist. Transmission Welding by an Incremental Scanning Technique (Twist), developed by Fraunhofer ILT's researchers in Aachen, can significantly reduce investment costs, as well as plant size, and is nearly maintenance-free.
Furthermore, the Twist plant concept is characterised by its higher process speed and flexibility when structuring welding contours, as compared to conventional joining methods. Hence, it is particularly suitable for small and medium size tasks, which require quick retooling. By using new wavelengths in combination with the Twist concept, operators are now able to weld transparent components together without an infrared absorber and at high speeds. To bond metal with commercially available plastics, the Fraunhofer ILT has developed a laser-supported joining process that can dispense with using additional material. A suitable structuring of the metal's surface at high speed allows form fit joints to be attained above the bonds with high strength.
