Revolutionary Technology for Battery Industry
Laser Welding is a revolutionary technology for welding batteries that are highly sensitive to thermal effects. For instance, laser welding has already been widely used in lithium-ion battery fabrication1 . In addition, the laser welding process uses a low heat application – the weld is formed as the intense laser beam rapidly heats the material in a non-contact way, typically in milliseconds. This laser application minimizes any damage to the components or materials.
Benefits of Welding Batteries with Lasers
The main parts that can be welded with laser technology are battery tabs, busbars, and connectors. Laser allows the wiring of these parts with different shapes: spot, line, hollow circle, triangle, etc. Given this flexibility, laser technology offers much more benefits:
- Low heat input and high energy density result in high weld quality and productivity2.
- High pull strength;
- Higher overall joint strength due to the ability to make more welds (greater total welded area) in a smaller space;
- While joining dissimilar metals, laser welding technology reduces the thickness of the intermetallic layer, minimizes the formation of pores and cracks, and increases the mechanical properties of the weld3.
- Faster manufacturing cycles as laser welding is >5 times faster than MIG and >10 times faster than TIG;
- Flexibility in overlapping spot design;
Our Recent Case
Recently, our engineer welded battery tabs at the client’s factory with a handheld* laser welding system. Wiring 400 battery cells, with two battery tabs on each battery and 8 points for each tab (client’s request). This work took 5 hours for a total of 6400 points. See the pictures below for the results of laser welding for batteries.
*Option with complete automation of the process with robot hand, including handling and testing is available. Our Laser systems operate 24/7.
Choosing the Right System
In the battery industry, each case is individual, thus we suggest testing your samples and we will suggest the most compatible laser system for your needs. During the live laser welding demonstration, we will show how laser welding works for your materials and products. Contact us via sales@diodela.lt
1 Lanh Ngoc Trinh, Dongkyoung Lee The Characteristics of Laser Welding of a Thin Aluminum Tab and Steel Battery Case for Lithium-Ion Battery, 2020.
2 Blackburn, J. “Laser Welding of Metals for Aerospace and Other Applications”; Woodhead Publishing Limited: Cambridge, UK, 2012.
3 Yan, S.; Hong, Z.; Watanabe, T.; Jingguo, T. CW/PW dual-beam YAG laser welding of steel/aluminum alloy sheets. Opt. Lasers Eng. 2010, 48, 732–736.