The laser's position as a key tool in building automobiles was highlighted at this year's European Automotive Laser Applications (EALA) trade show to be held in Bad Nauheim, February 3-4, 2010. Technology supplier TRUMPF introduced its new concepts for the use of laser in the automotive industry. TRUMPF laser experts gave their insights on the cost-benefits of various lasers for use in automotive production.

After all, new technologies have become available, including diode-pumped disk lasers and diode lasers that are many times more efficient than lamp-pumped lasers. "While lamp-pumped solid-state lasers demonstrate efficiency factors of only about 3 percent, the TRUMPF TruDisk disk lasers achieve more than 25 percent and the TRUMPF TruDiode diode lasers more than 35 percent," mentioned Brockmann. The possible savings in electricity usage alone are immense and could amount to several tens of thousands of Euros per laser per year for a three-shift operation.

Together with the steel company ArcelorMittal, TRUMPF has investigated the effect of weld seam geometries optimization on the stability of advanced high strength steel based assemblies. Those steel grades are becoming increasingly important in car body construction because they demonstrate better crash properties at reduced weights and thus comply with current challenges of the automotive industry. As Aurélien Pic from the Automotive Applications Research Center at ArcelorMittal, Montataire/France, has shown, remote laser welding can produce the widest variety of seam geometries - without having to sacrifice production times. Resistance spot welding does not offer this freedom.