Laser welding drives savings for auto parts supplier
Canadian Plastics
German auto parts supplier, Pierburg, saves both time and money by using laser transmission welding to fix the cover onto the coil encapsulation of its electro-pneumatic vacuum modulators (EPVMs)....
German auto parts supplier, Pierburg, saves both time and money by using laser transmission welding to fix the cover onto the coil encapsulation of its electro-pneumatic vacuum modulators (EPVMs).
Both the cover and the coil encapsulation are made with variants of E.I. du Pont’s Zytel 70G35, a nylon 6/6, but the cover material allows transmission of the laser beam, while the coil encapsulation material is laser-absorbent.
Previously, the parts were fixed using a metal collar, and automating this process was difficult because of the projecting connector stubs.
“We now produce millions of constant-quality, laser-welding EPVMs a year, using an automated process with short cycle times,” said Rolf Dohrmann, electro-valve development group leader at Pierburg.
Zytel 70G35 is available in many colours in both laser-transmitting and laser-absorbent types. The pigment, however, does not affect the behaviour of the resin when exposed to laser beams.
E.I. du Pont Canada —
Engineering Polymers Division (Mississauga, Ont.); 800-263-3943
Canada Colors & Chemicals Ltd. (Don Mills, Ont.); 800-387-8006
Ashland Canada Corp. —
General Polymers
(Mississauga, Ont.); 905-823-1800
PolyOne Distribution Canada Ltd.
(Mississauga, Ont.); 888-394-2662
