Laser Technology
Diode Lasers are essentially high-powered LEDs that operate at a specific wavelength. They are relatively compact, light,
and cost-effective. Our diode lasers are
available in a wide range of power levels at
both 808 and 940 nanometer wavelengths
Nd:YAG Lasers use a solid rod of rareearth material as the lasing medium. The
longer-wavelength 1064 nanometer light
produced is useful in more applications
than basic diode lasers, and a broader and
higher range of power levels are available.
CO2 Lasers are effective for welding
thermoplastic films, and are available
in very high power levels to accommodate very fast weldline speeds. They are
also effective for cutting thermoplastics
Direct beam delivery use optics that are
mounted directly on the laser housing
and fixed in focal length and beam position relative to the housing. They are used
primarily in systems using the moveable
part concept or with diode lasers mounted on robot arms.
Beam Splitting is useful for welding
larger parts. A single higher-power laser
beam can be split into two beams each
at half the power of the original beam,
and may be divided again if need be.
This allows for multiple-part production from a single motion source, or
attachment of multiple galvo heads to a
single laser so quasi-simultaneous welding can occur on a part larger than the
working field of a single galvo head.
Cost-per-unit-power drops as laser size
increases, so beam-splitting is a good
option for welding large parts quickly.
Laser
Welders
Integration of the laser beam controls
with the beam or part positioning system is simple with Dukane’s laser welder
software tools. Using
sophisticated computer
controls, we work with
you to ensure that each
weld program results in a
robust process and maximized part quality.
Enclosures are required
for laser systems in a factory work environment. All
Dukane enclosures are Class I
laser tight and utilize laser-safe
glass viewing windows where
appropriate. Guillotine doors are
utilized for access to the fixturing
area for operation, setup, or automated parts handling.
Fiber Delivery is used to get the beam
into a tight spot where the laser housing
may not be able to go. It is useful for
delivering a Nd:YAG or Diode beam to a
robot end effector or for fixed mounting
in a small space within an automated
machine.
We make
Galvo Heads can steer the laser beams at
amazing speeds to allow for complex contour or quasi-simultaneous operations.
Galvo heads can also be mounted on
moving machine elements or robots, and
can also distribute a fiber-delivered beam.
Light Work
Dukane Intelligent Assembly Solutions • 2900 Dukane Drive • St. Charles, Illinois 60174 USA
TEL (630) 797-4900 • FAX (630) 797-4949 • E-MAIL ussales@dukcorp.com • www.dukcorp.com/us
Printed in U.S.A.
of your plastic
Positioning systems run the full spectrum from simple servo stages or
galvo heads to robotic installations. If you have a need, we will find a
way to accommodate it.
© 2004 Dukane Corporation
assembly challenge
Intelligent Assembly Solutions
Dukane
Laser Welding
At a glance
Our Laser Capabilities
• Diode lasers at 808 and 940 nm
• Nd: YAG lasers at 1064 nm
• CO 2 lasers at 10,600nm
Laser welding process has it’s advantages
To de-mystify the laser welding process
and produce a system with a lot of bang
for the buck, we partnered with RofinSinar, the world’s largest industrialstrength laser manufacturer. By combining
our expertise in plastics joining with
Rofin’s knowledge of laser production and
system control, we’ve been able to accelerate the practical application of laser welding in plastics.
Through Transmission Infrared Process
• Power levels from just a few
watts to over 5,000 watts
• Fiberoptic, fixed optic, or galvo
head beam delivery
Laser Light
• Complete turn-key systems
including Class I light-tight
enclosures, laser controls, parts
handling systems designed for
lowest cost of ownership, not
necessarily the lowest price
• Components or laser welding
stations for incorporation by
system integrators
• Plastics assembly expertise to
help customers intelligently apply
laser welding of thermoplastics
• Laser demonstration/sampling/
prototyping capability in our
application lab
Laser welding of thermoplastics depends
on the same rules of resin compatibility
that the other processes do, but is more
forgiving of resin chemistry or melt temperature differences than most other plastic welding processes.
Transmittant Part
Weld Joint
• Optional integrated pyrometer for
closed-loop laser power control
• LaserCAD software to control
position of parts, beams, optics,
or entire laser assemblies or
combinations thereof, contour or
quasi-simultaneous modes
wavelength of the laser source used. Parts
that appear to be black or some other
color to the human eye can be either
transmissive or absorptive depending on
the formulation of the pigment. Even
joints that require optical clarity (clear-toclear) can be achieved by the use of special
coatings.
Absorptive Part
Laser welding for plastics is achieved
through a process known as “Through
Transmission Infrared” or TTIr. This
process sends the intense light beam
through one component (the transmittant
part) to be absorbed by the other component (the absorptive part) at the weld
interface while the parts are clamped
together.
The energy created at the absorptive
component causes molecular vibrations
that heat the plastic. As the absorptive
component starts to melt and expand,
the heat and melted area are transferred
to the other component. The end result
is an intermolecular mixing of the two
components.
Laser welding depends on color, specifically what color the laser thinks your part
is. More scientifically, one
material must transmit
the laser light while the
other absorbs it, and
converts it to heat.
The good news is that
the materials must be transmissive or absorptive only at the specific
Contained weld joints have no flash or
particulate outside the joint to cause problems. The assembly sees no heat or vibration, and the parts do not move relative to
one another in the process. The laser weld
process can produce visually pleasing joints
Galvo head technology uses mirrors to
redirect the laser beam and a flat-plate lens
to focus it on
the work.
Because these
mirrors and the
servo motors
that drive them
are very tiny,
they have very
little mass and
can be moved at high speeds and stopped
very quickly. This enables galvo-equipped
machines to weld in a slower scanning
contour mode, or fast, repetitive scanning
mode called quasi-simultaneous welding.
The current limit on the working field of a
galvo head is about 200 to 250 mm in
diameter. This technique is most effective
for parts with flat or slightly contoured
joints.
Clamping Force
Inside or Contained Welding
(Contour Mode)
Full-Wall Collapse Welding
(Quasi-Simultaneous Mode)
on parts with complex geometries, both
very large and very small. The process is
extremely precise and controllable. Fullwall collapse welding in quasi-simultaneous mode even has some gap-filling capability. Laser welding is versatile and capable, and it probably costs less than you
think. And dedicated tooling for laser
welding, is also relatively inexpensive.
With laser welding, joints are dust-proof,
humidity-proof, and crack resistant. They
feature excellent aesthetics and can be
made invisible.
Robotic or servo technology uses servo
motors to precisely position a direct or
fiber-delivered laser beam in contour welding mode. The use of modern path-following robots allows for considerable freedom
of part design geometry. This method
allows for parts with complex joint contours, as beam delivery is dependent only
on the capability of the robot to follow the
welding path. Large parts are easily accommodated using this method.
Robotic or servo technology can be used
to move the part instead of the laser beam
to simplify beam delivery optics and
reduce system cost, while preserving the
ability to weld large parts. Also called
fixed-beam systems, this technique works
best with moderate sized parts. Selection
of moving stage concepts or robotic fixture
manipulation depends on the complexity
of the joint geometry.
Combining various technologies allows
the best of both worlds. If both part and
laser beam are moved in coordinated
fashion, large and complex parts can be
welded using simple part moves and
complex beam moves, or vice versa. This
allows for the best of all possible worlds
and a complete arsenal of approaches to
both large parts and parts with complex
joint geometries. The possibilities for
combining motion control technologies
and beam delivery methods, provides
the necessary functions for your laser
welding solution.
Dukane
Laser Welding
At a glance
Our Laser Capabilities
• Diode lasers at 808 and 940 nm
• Nd: YAG lasers at 1064 nm
• CO 2 lasers at 10,600nm
Laser welding process has it’s advantages
To de-mystify the laser welding process
and produce a system with a lot of bang
for the buck, we partnered with RofinSinar, the world’s largest industrialstrength laser manufacturer. By combining
our expertise in plastics joining with
Rofin’s knowledge of laser production and
system control, we’ve been able to accelerate the practical application of laser welding in plastics.
Through Transmission Infrared Process
• Power levels from just a few
watts to over 5,000 watts
• Fiberoptic, fixed optic, or galvo
head beam delivery
Laser Light
• Complete turn-key systems
including Class I light-tight
enclosures, laser controls, parts
handling systems designed for
lowest cost of ownership, not
necessarily the lowest price
• Components or laser welding
stations for incorporation by
system integrators
• Plastics assembly expertise to
help customers intelligently apply
laser welding of thermoplastics
• Laser demonstration/sampling/
prototyping capability in our
application lab
Laser welding of thermoplastics depends
on the same rules of resin compatibility
that the other processes do, but is more
forgiving of resin chemistry or melt temperature differences than most other plastic welding processes.
Transmittant Part
Weld Joint
• Optional integrated pyrometer for
closed-loop laser power control
• LaserCAD software to control
position of parts, beams, optics,
or entire laser assemblies or
combinations thereof, contour or
quasi-simultaneous modes
wavelength of the laser source used. Parts
that appear to be black or some other
color to the human eye can be either
transmissive or absorptive depending on
the formulation of the pigment. Even
joints that require optical clarity (clear-toclear) can be achieved by the use of special
coatings.
Absorptive Part
Laser welding for plastics is achieved
through a process known as “Through
Transmission Infrared” or TTIr. This
process sends the intense light beam
through one component (the transmittant
part) to be absorbed by the other component (the absorptive part) at the weld
interface while the parts are clamped
together.
The energy created at the absorptive
component causes molecular vibrations
that heat the plastic. As the absorptive
component starts to melt and expand,
the heat and melted area are transferred
to the other component. The end result
is an intermolecular mixing of the two
components.
Laser welding depends on color, specifically what color the laser thinks your part
is. More scientifically, one
material must transmit
the laser light while the
other absorbs it, and
converts it to heat.
The good news is that
the materials must be transmissive or absorptive only at the specific
Contained weld joints have no flash or
particulate outside the joint to cause problems. The assembly sees no heat or vibration, and the parts do not move relative to
one another in the process. The laser weld
process can produce visually pleasing joints
Galvo head technology uses mirrors to
redirect the laser beam and a flat-plate lens
to focus it on
the work.
Because these
mirrors and the
servo motors
that drive them
are very tiny,
they have very
little mass and
can be moved at high speeds and stopped
very quickly. This enables galvo-equipped
machines to weld in a slower scanning
contour mode, or fast, repetitive scanning
mode called quasi-simultaneous welding.
The current limit on the working field of a
galvo head is about 200 to 250 mm in
diameter. This technique is most effective
for parts with flat or slightly contoured
joints.
Clamping Force
Inside or Contained Welding
(Contour Mode)
Full-Wall Collapse Welding
(Quasi-Simultaneous Mode)
on parts with complex geometries, both
very large and very small. The process is
extremely precise and controllable. Fullwall collapse welding in quasi-simultaneous mode even has some gap-filling capability. Laser welding is versatile and capable, and it probably costs less than you
think. And dedicated tooling for laser
welding, is also relatively inexpensive.
With laser welding, joints are dust-proof,
humidity-proof, and crack resistant. They
feature excellent aesthetics and can be
made invisible.
Robotic or servo technology uses servo
motors to precisely position a direct or
fiber-delivered laser beam in contour welding mode. The use of modern path-following robots allows for considerable freedom
of part design geometry. This method
allows for parts with complex joint contours, as beam delivery is dependent only
on the capability of the robot to follow the
welding path. Large parts are easily accommodated using this method.
Robotic or servo technology can be used
to move the part instead of the laser beam
to simplify beam delivery optics and
reduce system cost, while preserving the
ability to weld large parts. Also called
fixed-beam systems, this technique works
best with moderate sized parts. Selection
of moving stage concepts or robotic fixture
manipulation depends on the complexity
of the joint geometry.
Combining various technologies allows
the best of both worlds. If both part and
laser beam are moved in coordinated
fashion, large and complex parts can be
welded using simple part moves and
complex beam moves, or vice versa. This
allows for the best of all possible worlds
and a complete arsenal of approaches to
both large parts and parts with complex
joint geometries. The possibilities for
combining motion control technologies
and beam delivery methods, provides
the necessary functions for your laser
welding solution.
Laser Technology
Diode Lasers are essentially high-powered LEDs that operate at a specific wavelength. They are relatively compact, light,
and cost-effective. Our diode lasers are
available in a wide range of power levels at
both 808 and 940 nanometer wavelengths
Nd:YAG Lasers use a solid rod of rareearth material as the lasing medium. The
longer-wavelength 1064 nanometer light
produced is useful in more applications
than basic diode lasers, and a broader and
higher range of power levels are available.
CO2 Lasers are effective for welding
thermoplastic films, and are available
in very high power levels to accommodate very fast weldline speeds. They are
also effective for cutting thermoplastics
Direct beam delivery use optics that are
mounted directly on the laser housing
and fixed in focal length and beam position relative to the housing. They are used
primarily in systems using the moveable
part concept or with diode lasers mounted on robot arms.
Beam Splitting is useful for welding
larger parts. A single higher-power laser
beam can be split into two beams each
at half the power of the original beam,
and may be divided again if need be.
This allows for multiple-part production from a single motion source, or
attachment of multiple galvo heads to a
single laser so quasi-simultaneous welding can occur on a part larger than the
working field of a single galvo head.
Cost-per-unit-power drops as laser size
increases, so beam-splitting is a good
option for welding large parts quickly.
Laser
Welders
Integration of the laser beam controls
with the beam or part positioning system is simple with Dukane’s laser welder
software tools. Using
sophisticated computer
controls, we work with
you to ensure that each
weld program results in a
robust process and maximized part quality.
Enclosures are required
for laser systems in a factory work environment. All
Dukane enclosures are Class I
laser tight and utilize laser-safe
glass viewing windows where
appropriate. Guillotine doors are
utilized for access to the fixturing
area for operation, setup, or automated parts handling.
Fiber Delivery is used to get the beam
into a tight spot where the laser housing
may not be able to go. It is useful for
delivering a Nd:YAG or Diode beam to a
robot end effector or for fixed mounting
in a small space within an automated
machine.
We make
Galvo Heads can steer the laser beams at
amazing speeds to allow for complex contour or quasi-simultaneous operations.
Galvo heads can also be mounted on
moving machine elements or robots, and
can also distribute a fiber-delivered beam.
Light Work
Dukane Intelligent Assembly Solutions • 2900 Dukane Drive • St. Charles, Illinois 60174 USA
TEL (630) 797-4900 • FAX (630) 797-4949 • E-MAIL ussales@dukcorp.com • www.dukcorp.com/us
Printed in U.S.A.
of your plastic
Positioning systems run the full spectrum from simple servo stages or
galvo heads to robotic installations. If you have a need, we will find a
way to accommodate it.
© 2004 Dukane Corporation
assembly challenge
Intelligent Assembly Solutions