Fiber lasers projected to be the next big thing in automotive industry

The UK-based technology consulting company, IDTechEx, in its market report on fibre lasers has revealed the advantages of fiber laser technology in lightweighting, battery manufacturing and LiDAR. As per the report, fibre laser welding systems are emerging as an essential tool for the electric vehicles market.

IDTechEx asserts that the fibre lasers are reliable, compact and energy efficient systems that offer the best beam quality for applications where precision is important. Experts claim that the weight of a vehicle can be significantly reduced by minimising the size of flanges (external or internal ridge or rim used for strength) with fibre laser processing. Meanwhile, beam delivery via an optical fibre ensures simplicity of integration into robotics. Consequently, the process speed is maximised, while material costs and operation costs are minimised. 

Improving precision in manufacturing

Fibre laser wielding system can be optimised for dissimilar metal joining which is said to be emerging as an essential tool for the electric vehicles market. Fibre lasers utilising a wobble beam process is reported to produce strong and highly uniform weld seams without causing thermal damage to the surrounding materials. 

From the original research done by IDTechEx

Making lasers safe and economical

IDTechEx’s report states that some fibre laser manufacturers are also preparing to enter the automotive light detection and ranging (LiDAR) market with the laser that has an eye-safe wavelength of 905nm. As the technology is based on an optical fibre, the absence of free-space optics and mechanical components provides excellent system stability and long product lifetime.