Production of Tailored Blanks: Cutting and welding
We know how it’s done – we’ve been making laser-welded blanks since 1985. Production starts with the cutting of the sheet metal blanks, which are then laser welded into tailored blanks. The individual blanks can be of different steel grade, coating and thickness.
Laser welding
The blanks are joined together by laser welding. ThyssenKrupp has patented a concept in which the blanks move beneath a fixed laser optic and are welded by a CO2 laser beam. This line concept features short changeover times and can be used for all linear welds. For non-linear welds, ThyssenKrupp uses gantry systems with solid state lasers, in which the laser beam is bypassed to the weld point by glass fiber.
In both cases, an optical element focuses the laser light at the point of welding to a spot of just a few tenths of a millimeter.
This permits the energy to be concentrated on the weld edges, which are heated so strongly that the material melts and joins together. The result is a high-strength weld without the need for filler materials.
Laser welds display various positive properties:
- Low weld widths of around 1 mm
- Low weld convexity
- Weld has virtually no impact on forming behavior
- Cathodic protection of a zinc coating retained
- Low heat loads on base material during welding
Product range
Tailored blanks can be produced in all steel grades from the ThyssenKrupp Steel product range. Sheet thicknesses can vary between 0.6 and 3.0 mm. Welds of up to 2,800 mm in length are possible.