Laser Welding Lines for Powertrain Components

Coldwater Machine Company (Coldwater, OH), recently launched an automated laser welding line for powertrain components. Based on their standard laser welding modules, each system is customized to suit specific application requirements. This recent system was developed for laser welding differentials and ring gears and features a palletized conveyor system to transfer parts through the cell using RFID traceability throughout the assembly and welding process, and a material handling robot to transfer the parts between operations.

The first process is an ablation station where the ring gears and differential cases are cleaned with a fiber laser prior to the laser welding process. The robot transfers cleaned parts from the palletized conveyor system to the individual operations that include a servo-controlled press station and then to the laser welding station. The parts are oriented, clamped under force, and tack welded by the laser. The weld is accomplished using a 6 kW CO2 laser with filler wire in the presence of shielding gas. When the laser welding process is completed, the robot moves the assembly to an ultrasonic inspection station for a quality check of the weld to identify failures such as porosity, holes, cracks or fissures along the 360 deg joint.  After inspection, the material handling robot loads the welded assembly back onto the conveyor pallet where good parts are transferred to an unload station and rejects to a quarantine zone for further evaluation.

All of this machinery was included in a turnkey package, along with ancillary equipment, such as an air-cooled chiller for the laser, a fume extractor for the ablation and welding stations and all necessary controls and operator displays with complete diagnostic capability. Similar equipment has been delivered by the company before for a wide variety of transmission and powertrain components welding.

Coldwater Machine Company, 911 North Second Street, Coldwater, OH 45828-8736, 419-678-4877, www.coldwatermachine.com.