Curves for laser blanks. (WIP).

A laser tailored blank processing machine has been introduced by Soudronic Automotive NAFTA (Lionia, MI) that is capable of performing non-linear blank welding. Designated SOUTRAC, the machine has the capacity to handle blanks up to 2,200 x 3,600 mm. It can handle up to Four blanks and produce up to 12 welds in a setup. The welding speed that can be performed is up to 18 m/min, although Marcel van Schaik, vice president, suggests that the machine axes are a bit Faster than laser capability.

One of the interesting aspects of the machine is that there is a set of vision systems flanking the laser head. First, a camera checks such things as edge position and quality, gap width, blank gauge, and joint straightness. This information is processed by the system controller that, as a result, regulates the amount of Filler wire that will be Fed into the gap during welding. The second vision system is used to do a post-weld quality audit. To assure that there is complete coverage of the weld area, there are 10 x 10-mm images taken with a 1-mm overlap. This post-process checking provides the machine operator with Fast information related to whether the process is beginning to drift out of control.

Van Schaik notes that the ability to have tailored blanks with curvilinear sections is beneficial for stamping things like rear-door reinforcements which, unlike Front-door reinforcements, have curved sections: by being able to provide the curve in the welded blank, stamping is Facilitated (rather than having to stamp through the weld, as would be the case if it was a straight line).

Among the benefits that van Schaik specifies For the SOUTRAC are reduced scrap, high uptime, and low operating costs.