Manufacturers often face a delicate balance in deploying welding on large-scale applications. These operations require rigorous procedures with sophisticated production machinery, and expert technicians to oversee them. But, in applying welding to the aerospace market and energy applications, such as pipelines, technology breakthroughs have allowed companies to quicken production and streamline operations.
One recent example is found at Michigan-based Duggan Manufacturing, which has invested heavily in remote fiber laser welding operations for high-throughput production processes in the automotive, defense, aerospace, and alternative energy industries.
Duggan Manufacturing's flexible laser welding system uses robots to reduce welding time by half on parts such as automotive seating component assemblies, muffler assemblies, battery cells and solar cell array assemblies.
Laser welding uses a high-powered beam focused over a workpiece at distances up to 40 inches. With a combination of long focal-length lenses and computer-controlled targeting mirrors mounted to a robot arm, Duggan Manufacturing runs a far more efficient operation than conventional laser/resistance spot welding.
"High-powered remote fiber laser welding, brazing and cutting has been an advanced manufacturing technology that has grown rapidly over the last five years because of its increase in weld processing speeds," says Tony Pinho, president of Duggan Manufacturing. "It requires less tooling and part fixturing, and substantially reduces the ongoing maintenance costs typically associated with conventional welding processes."
