+31 40 8080 193Laser technology in the automotive industry
Modern car production is highly automated, and robots have been commonplace throughout the industry for many years. Lasers are now being used in conjunction with this technology, replacing conventional tools and providing a host of additional benefits to the manufacturing process. Steel & aluminum laser cutting is widely used within the automotive industry for processing tubes, tubes and sheet material.
Laser cutting automotive industry – exterior and interior applications
A wide variety of materials are used in the production of cars, including plastics, textiles, glass and rubber, all of which can be successfully processed with lasers. Laser-processed components and materials find their way into almost all parts of a typical car, both interior and exterior. Lasers are used at every stage of the automotive manufacturing process, from design and development to final assembly. Lasers are not limited to mass production, but are even finding applications in high-end custom automotive manufacturing, where throughput is relatively low and some processes are still done by hand. Here the goal is not to ramp up or speed up production, but rather to improve the quality, repeatability and reliability of processing, thereby reducing rejection rates and wastage of valuable materials.
Applications steel & aluminum laser cutting automotive industry
Steel & aluminum laser cutting in the automotive industry is used for:
- body panels,
- Exhaust Components
- Hydro Formed Parts
- Pipe cutting
- Reinforced Steel Structure Parts
- Hot Stamped Steel
- 2D flat plate
- Battery Components
- Frame Components
- bumpers
- Instrument panels
Example of customer case – laser cutting of sleeper pipe
Cross beams are complex components that make a decisive contribution to the stability and safety of any vehicle in which they are used. As a single cross member in the interior of the vehicle, they ensure that, in the event of a side impact, the passenger compartment is not compressed. Crossbars also hold the steering wheel, airbags and entire dashboard. Depending on the model, we can manufacture this crucial part in steel or aluminum.
Crossbars for cars
Hyundai Motor Company is a well-known motor company in Korea. In order to improve their production efficiency and upgrade their equipment, the company decided to introduce a tube laser cutting machine through our Chinese partner.
Customer requirements
- The customer's product is pipe for the automotive industry, and its need massive and automatic processing.
- The pipe diameter is 25A-75A
- The length of the finished pipe is 1.5 m
- The semi-finished pipe length is 8m
- After laser cutting, the robot arm can directly grab the finished pipe for further bending and pressing processing;
- Customer has requirements for laser cutting accuracy and efficiency, and the maximum processing speed is not less than 100 R/M;
- The cutting part must not have a burr
- The cut circle should be close to a perfect circle
Safe
The laser cutting process takes place in a closed, light-tight environment. With the right protective equipment, the risk of operator injury is greatly reduced compared to conventional cutting tools such as knives. In addition, laser-cut surfaces such as stainless steel, galvanized steel, low-strength high-strength alloys, and metals such as copper, bronze, and brass have smoother edges than materials cut otherwise.
efficient
By managing the raw materials and the power consumption required to use and finish these materials, laser cutting provides a significant boost to manufacturing in the automotive industry. The smooth, precise cuts made by a laser reduce material waste in the automotive manufacturing processes. In addition, little energy is required for laser cutting. With fewer moving parts, downtime is reduced, significantly increasing energy and human capital efficiency.
Precision
Laser cutting guarantees that cuts are made exactly according to specifications. If changes need to be made, it can be done much faster and more accurately. As cars become more sophisticated, smaller parts have to be cut precisely – a feat much easier to achieve with laser cutting. The precision of laser cutting is especially important when working with 3D shapes, and this is one application where laser cutting really excels when it comes to delivering a superior cut.
Laser machines suitable for steel & aluminum laser cutting automotive industry
Fiber lasers for metal laser cutting of flat sheet material
MetaQuip has a number of solutions for metal laser cutting. We offer a selection of high-quality fiber laser machines suitable for laser cutting of thinner sheet metal such as the FC6060 and the FC1390, but also heavier machines for metal laser cutting of thick and/or larger sheet material such as the FC1510, FC3015, FC4020.
Laser cutting metal tubes and profiles
MetaQuip also supplies solutions for the metal laser cutting of tubes and profiles up to standard lengths up to 6 meters, but longer is also possible. These machines are mainly used for industrial applications.
Fiber laser cutting robot arm
The fiber laser cutting robot arm is ideally suited for integration and automation for cutting and welding applications. Fiber lasers with laser source power from 700W to 3000W offer manufacturers dynamic metal processing capabilities. These custom built systems offer greater flexibility, reliability and quality. Optimal return on investment is guaranteed with these fully programmable machines.
The robotic laser cutting system uses a world-class robot from ABB, Fanuc or Staubli, integrated with a fiber laser source and the best-designed cutting head. This machine works with high precision, high efficiency and low noise.
This 6-axis laser cutting machine is used for precision laser cutting of 3D parts with complex surfaces. Especially suitable for cutting parts for the automotive and aerospace industry. No post-processing required.
