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manufacturing technology

How fiber laser welding assists longer battery life for EVs

Fiber Laser Welding

Fiber laser welding technology is contribut-

ing to lower cost and higher reliability batter­

ies for the latest generation of electric vehicles.

Fiber laser welding reliably produces consistently

high-quality welds for electric vehicle batteries where

aluminum, copper, nickel-coated steel and combi­

nations of these materials are welded together.

Pictured (left) is a copper-to-aluminum lap weld, one of many possible fiber laser welding combinations. Control of the laser weld metallurgy and dimensions are possible using enhanced control of the laser welding process parameters through the Laserdyne 430 fiber laser system (right).

Mohammed Naeem &

Terry L VanderWert Prima Power Laserdyne

According to an observer of the 2018 CES (Consumer

Electronics Show), "automakers are reallocating and

prioritizing their research and development budgets toward

electrification of vehicles."

T his article provides an update on the latest laser welding

developments as they apply to these newest battery designs,

including data to document the quality of laser welds of

similar and dissimilar metal combinations.

Bloomberg writer Tommaso Ebhardt quoted Sergio

Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, as

saying, "by 2025, fewer than half the cars sold will be fully

combustion-powered, as gas and diesel give way to hybrid,

electric, and fuel-cell drivetrains."

For this to occur, there will be significant investment to

make electric vehicles more attractive and affordable for

44 - Motorized Vehicle Manufacturing Year