Fast Laser Beam Characterization

Abstract

The power‐to‐weight ratio plays a key role in automotive construction: the lighter the powertrain components of the car or truck, the more efficient the vehicle. Moreover, it significantly cuts emissions and fuel consumption. And engineers are always striving to eliminate parts that are at higher risk of wear and tear. With these goals in mind, automotive experts at Daimler have successfully optimized the design and assembly of their differential gears, substituting bolted joints with laser welds (Fig.1). Not only has this reduced the mass of each part by over 15 percent, the new procedure requires no rework of the parts, and it has also brought down losses due to splashing of nuts and bolts through the oil reservoir of the differential gear during operation. In order to meet the stringent standards that Daimler is committed to, the company implemented a digital process chain to guarantee and document all relevant quality parameters. One key feature thereof is the non‐contact, automated characterization of process laser beams using Ophir's BeamWatch Integrated.