Manufacturing Auto Parts with Laser Cutter, Engraver, Welder, Cleaner

Laser Cutting Machines

Laser cutter is a precision cutting tool kit that uses high-energy laser beams to irradiate the surface of auto parts to locally melt, vaporize or phase change the irradiated area to achieve the goal of cutting. After the laser is focused by the optical system, the energy density at the focal point is extremely high, so it can cut some extremely hard materials, including hard alloys and even diamonds. "Cutting iron like mud" is no longer a legendary story, and a laser cutting machine has made it a reality.

Pros & Cons

• Non-contact machining without applying mechanical force to the auto parts.

• Small heat-affected zone makes auto parts not easily deformed..

• The kerf (which is related to the material, thickness, laser power, cutting speed, focus position and other elements of the processed object) is narrow, and the kerf quality is relatively good, no further processing is required.

Automobile body materials use a lot of high-strength steel. If you use mechanical cutting, the tool wear will be extremely serious. If you use stamping cutting, it will wear the abrasive, and the cutting quality will gradually decrease with the wear of the abrasive. Laser cutting is a good solution overcoming these problems, which can work continuously for a long time, and greatly reduces the production preparation cycle.

The combination of laser cutting technology and CNC technology has greatly improved the utilization efficiency of the equipment. It only needs to import the graphics to be cut into the numerical control system, and can cut out various precision auto parts without having to mold it separately. It provides a flexible and convenient solution for automobile manufacturing centers.

Laser Welding Machines

Laser welding machines have been used for more than 20 years in the welding of auto parts and even complete vehicles. In European and American countries where the auto industry is extremely developed, laser welding has become a standard process in the most advanced automobile manufacturing process.

Laser welders can be used in automotive gears (including conjoined gears), automotive transmissions, oil filters, automotive air-conditioning pulleys, hydraulic tappets, ABS battery valves, airbag igniters, lithium batteries, fuel injectors, lights, sensors, and more parts,  as well as the car body parts such as roofs, doors, trunks, and engine roofs.

Pros & Cons

• Easy to control and fast.

• No welding wire is required and high-quality high-strength welds can be obtained.

• Large depth-to-width ratio of weld seam, bright and beautiful.

• High precision, strong repeatability and high yield.

• Due to the fast welding speed, the heat conduction effect is small and the thermal deformation is extremely small.

• Non-contact processing without mechanical stress.

• No consumables required, low cost of use.

Experiments have shown that the strength of the body welded by laser can be increased by more than 30%, which greatly improves the safety performance of the car. The use of laser-welded auto parts can effectively reduce the volume of parts, which is in line with the development trend of miniaturization of parts.

Laser Engraving Machines

Focusing on the requirements of comprehensive information management and quality traceability in the automotive industry, both automobile manufacturers and auto parts companies need to code on the entire vehicle and key components to give the vehicle and parts a unique identity. The application of laser on auto parts is mainly to mark the two-dimensional code on the part body, and attach the unique information of the product identity to the surface of the part through the 2D code. Through the collection equipment, the whole life cycle management of the part can be realized, and at the same time, the carry out data association with the VIN number of the whole vehicle to realize the traceability of the whole vehicle and parts. The key components that need to be traced include engine assembly, gearbox assembly, steering assembly, brake assembly, body, frame, and electronic appliances.

STYLECNC's 3D laser marking machine is a professional equipment specially designed for laser engraving applications such as stairs and special-shaped surfaces. The core hardware adopts top-level performance imported accessories, and the system software is powerful. It can directly import the output files of 3D design software. Internally generate the processing trajectory that fits the workpiece surface, and cooperate with the three-dimensional data processing and alignment functions to achieve the best surface marking effect and ensure the best quality of the product.

Pros & Cons

• Permanent: The mark will not fade due to changes in time, environment and other elements.

• Non-contact processing: Elimination of chemical and noise pollution.

• Adaptable: Capable of marking most metallic or non-metallic materials.

• Extremely fine marking effect: The minimum spot diameter after focusing can reach 0.01 mm or even smaller, so the marking effect is very fine.

• Low operating cost: Fast laser marking, low energy consumption, easy automation management.

In the field of auto parts manufacturing, laser marking technology can be applied to any place that needs to be marked. Metal parts, non-metal parts, even auto glass and tires can be laser marked.

Laser Cleaning Machines

During automotive manufacturing, drawing or cooling lubricants and anti-rust oils used can contaminate automotive parts and severely degrade the quality of subsequent high-energy joining or bonding processes where welds and bonds in powertrain parts must meet strict quality standards, therefore joint surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned.

Traditional cleaning methods such as manual, cleaning and pickling, shot blasting, sandpaper grinding and other methods not only pollute the environment, but also cannot be automated, labor-intensive and time-consuming, resulting in a waste of human resources. For example, critical welds on painted structural parts must have their coating removed for inspection. Using hand or power tools, abrasives, or chemicals that can hide problem areas and cause further damage to the surface.

Laser cleaning has a number of advantages such as non-contact, no damage to the base material, green environmental protection, fast cleaning, and automation. Thoroughly clean the scale and other surface residual pollutants after pre-welding, so as to obtain strong, void-free and micro-crack welding and bonding, which can effectively improve the welding quality of the product.

Selective paint removal is one of the many applications of laser cleaning. The surface of a weathered part after laser stripping has been cleaned allowing a fresh new coat to be applied over a suitable base coat.

In the automotive aftermarket, it is sometimes necessary to remove the top coat of paint while protecting the undercoat. Typically weathered coatings on the top of a vehicle need to be completely removed before applying new paint. Because the top coat of paint has different physical and chemical properties than the primer, the power and frequency of the laser can be set to remove only the top coat of paint. Since the laser has no mechanical, chemical or thermal influence on the primer, the primer remains intact, which ensures the corrosion resistance of the primer.

Pros & Cons

• Clean the metal surface oxide layer (iron oxide, beryllium oxide, etc.) to improve the corrosion resistance of the metal.

• Paint removal, oil stain and grease removal on the surface of molded parts.

• Surface plating, coating cleaning.

• Optimize surface conditions prior to welding.

• Stable substrate fusion line interface.

• No medium, chemical reagents, dry and clean operation.

• Immediate use prior to welding.

• Texturization of enlarged surfaces.

Depending on the application, the pulse frequency, energy and wavelength of the laser must be precisely selected to clean, polish and ablate the target material. At the same time, any damage to the base material must be prevented.

The use of laser cleaning machines for polishing, surface cleaning and decoating in the automotive industry is rapidly expanding. In addition to the automotive industry, laser cleaning is also used in mold casting, precision instruments, shipbuilding, transportation and other industries.

Things To Consider

The four types of laser machines introduced in this article run through the entire process of automobile manufacturing. Parts manufacturers use a variety of laser processing techniques to improve product quality. Automakers' use of laser technology is also widespread. Laser technology plays a huge role in the four major processes of stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly in vehicle manufacturing, and bringing huge economic benefits to vehicle manufacturers. All industry experts are convinced that laser technology will continue to play a leading role in automotive manufacturing.

Frequently Asked Questions