Wireless to Wire Laser Welding Succeeds with Dynamic Beam Shaping Without Filler Wire

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Beam shaping also allows different materials to be welded with a laser. This now works even smarter and more sustainably, according to Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS) is presenting innovative laser welding at the Schweißen & Schneiden 2025 trade fair, which expands both design and economic possibilities. Several current development projects rely on laser-based joining methods. In this context, a strategically moved laser beam actively influences the behavior of the melt, eliminating the need for filler materials, as explained by the Dresden researchers. This approach is intended to enable even the most challenging welding tasks—such as joining alloys previously considered difficult to weld or component cross-sections of significant size—to be completed reliably and productively. And it works with less energy, reduced material usage, and decreased rework. The combination of high-frequency scanner technology, flexible beam power control, and IWS's open-system process control unlocks new application perspectives and design possibilities that conventional arc welding methods do not allow, the researchers emphasize. Learn more about the projects here ...

Crack-free welding of aluminum battery housings

As part of the EU project Albatross, the IWS has produced an innovative battery housing for electric vehicles using laser welding and successfully demonstrated it in full component size. The lightweight structure combines aluminum extrusion profiles with aluminum die-cast parts with wall thicknesses of up to five millimeters. Conventional methods faced physical limitations with this material combination, as die-cast parts are prone to porosity and extrusion profiles in the 6000 alloy series are susceptible to hot cracking. The IWS laser innovation is based on a precisely oscillating beam guidance that sets the molten pool in motion, thereby reducing porosity and simultaneously creating metallurgically stable seams. This enables high-quality aluminum weld joints without filler material. The battery housing was even integrated into an actual vehicle model and tested. As part of the Fraunhofer flagship project "FutureCarProduction," this technology is currently being further developed for the welding of secondary aluminum as well as cast-to-cast connections and is being assessed for its sustainability.

Sealed containers made of 2000-series aluminum alloy

And for applications in aerospace, Fraunhofer-IWS has developed a laser welding technique that enables the production of closed tank structures made from a high-strength aluminum alloy of the 2000 series. However, since these alloys are also prone to hot cracking during welding, this was previously not possible without filler wire to influence the alloy composition in the weld metal.

The institute's new laser welding process completely eliminates the need for filler materials and enables process-stable, relatively "cold" welding, which can also be applied to 3D contours. This laser-based process is therefore very well-suited for sealing rotationally symmetric containers. It is also being investigated for welding pipes, as it guarantees dense, distortion-free, and highly durable seams. The process was developed as part of an aviation project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK, now BMWE).