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,1 32/<0(5 /$6(5 :(/',1*

Contributors:

Philips CFT
Siemens
Fiat CRF
STEAG microParts
Thermoform
FhG-ILT
Rofin-Sinar
Avecia
DSM Research
Kath. Universiteit Leuven

New advances in polymer laser welding

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Summary and conclusions

Introduction

Basic process information

3.1
Potential of laserwelding
3.2
Parameters and their influence
3.3
Materials
3.4
Equipment
3.5
Weld geometry
3.6
Weld quality

Applications

Acknowledgement, authors
Appendix (references)

This document may be distributed freely, under the provision that no changes are made. Parts of this
publication may be reproduced if due reference is made to this document.

The picture on the frontpage shows the 3D Contour welding of a rear light using a robot as well as a fibre coupled
diode laser system.
(picture by courtesy of ILT)

New advances in polymer laser welding

Th8pyv

Polymer laser welding is an emerging joining technology. It offers several advantages compared to
existing welding techniques, such as:

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No or hardly any weld-flash is formed

No damage to product exterior as only limited mechanical load is exerted during welding.
Xvqrhyvphivyv)

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Laser welding is ideally suited for vvhvhv Good-quality bonds can be obtained
even if the available welding area is very small, while process-times can be < 0.5 s.
On the other hand, laser-welding can also be used to advantage for ryhtrqp with
several meters of weld-length
Thermoplastic ryhrcan be welded.

Hvvhyvsyrprurqp)

The heat-affected zone is very small. As a result, built-in stresses are not large.
Sensitive components or parts are not affected, even if these are close to the weld zone. No
electrical fields or mechanical vibrations are generated, contrarious to most other welding
processes.
Xryqvts"9uhrqryqvtp
Qprsyrvivyv)

With the proper welding equipment, it is quite easy to switch from one product to another.

Some boundary conditions as to materials and product design have to be fulfilled. The most important
condition to the materials is that one product part should be transparent for laser radiation, whereas the
other part has to be absorbent. As regards product design, the most important aspect is the geometry of
the weld region. A large number of shapes can be used to obtain an optimum welding result.
This publication describes the potential of polymer laser welding and presents information on product
design, materials, process parameters and equipment.
Attention is also given to the latest developments in the area of diode-lasers. This new type of laser is
particularly attractive because of its interesting price/performance ratio. Their optical beam quality is
somewhat less compared to conventional laser systems, but this is usually no disadvantage at all in case
of polymer welding.
Finally, the usage of the process is illustrated by means
of a number of (potential) applications. These involve
varying industrial areas. Product sizes range from the
very small to the very large:
- Miniature components for optical information
storage
- Miniature products for biomedical applications
- Encapsulation of electronic components
- Housings of personal electronic products
- Automotive components
- Double-walled window systems.

Fig. 1.1 Microfluidic device during filling with

red-coloured liquid
(STEAGmicroParts)

New advances in polymer laser welding

Dqpv

Today, typical joining methods for plastic parts are screwing, snap-fitting, adhesive bonding and welding.
Welding is applied when high strength and liquid- and air-tightness are required and when the materials
are compatible.
Xuyryhrryqvt4

Among the classical welding methods, laser welding has recently become an interesting alternative and
offers a number of advantages. These include, improved optical appearance, small heat affected zone,
miniaturisation, less thermal, mechanical or electrical load upon the product, less flash or no flash at all,
feasibility of 3D weld geometries and the possibility of welding thermoplastic to elastomers.
Laser welding is a versatile process. It is suitable for both small-series and mass production. Moreover, it
can be used for micro-components in high tech devices, but also for very large products such as doublewalled window systems.
The weld strength is similar to conventionally welded parts. The weld-line width can be varied over a wide
range, from some tenths of a millimetre to several millimetres; even complete surfaces can be welded.
Therefore the process can be adapted to the application. Precise and locally limited energy input
guarantees that the mechanical and thermal load, which is exerted upon the parts, is kept to a minimum.
This allows welding in the close proximity of, for example, functional layers in bio-sensors, sensitive
electronic components or sensitive components in micro-engineered parts.
Conventional welding techniques, such as ultrasonic, induction or hot plate welding fall short in several of
the above-mentioned aspects.
Furthermore, laser welding has been made attractive for industrial application by the recent advent of
relatively inexpensive diode lasers. The radiation of the diode laser can be fed into an optical fibre,
allowing simple and easy beam handling in industrial applications.
Xuhvyrryqvt4

Two process variants of laser beam welding of plastics can be discerned:

overlap welding
butt-welding.

Pryhryqvt

Overlap welding is illustrated in fig. 2.1. The parts to be

welded are held together by means of a moderate clamping
force (not shown). The laser beam traverses one product part
(which is transparent for laser radiation, wavelength in the
near infra-red region between 800 and 1100 nm). Thereupon,
the laser radiation is absorbed in the top-layer of the other
part. This top layer is heated, heat is transferred to the upper
part, the surface layers of both parts melt, and after cooling
and solidification a reliable bond is formed.
Parts that are transparent to near infra-red laser radiation are,
generally speaking, also transparent to the eye, whereas laserabsorbing parts usually have an opaque appearance (coloured
or black). There are, however, a few exceptions to this, which
can be utilised to increase the freedom of design with regard
to colour.

Fig. 2.1

Overlap welding with

laser beam (serial
welding)

New advances in polymer laser welding

!7ryqvt

Butt-welding is not the ideal configuration for polymer

welding although most papers that were published in earlier
times referred to this variant.
Due to the low thermal conductivity of polymers (contrary
to metals) only those parts of the work piece will be molten
where laser energy is absorbed. In order to achieve a strong
weld seam, a melt has to be created throughout the whole
joining volume. This puts important restrictions on the laser
absorption of both parts, and consequently on their
pigmentation.

Fig. 2.2

Butt-welding with laser

beam

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uvuhqixvyyirrvprqrpyvryursr

Whvhsyhrrrtv

Regarding the method by which the laser energy is supplied to the work pieces, five major variants can be
distinguished, serial welding, simultaneous welding, quasi-simultaneous welding, line-scan welding and
mask welding.
Trvhyryqvt

With serial welding the laser spot is guided along the weld contour (see Fig. 2.1). Therefore a new
welding geometry can be adapted by simply changing the contour program, creating less consequential
costs and giving this welding process an unexcelled flexibility and the possibility for joining devices with
a 3D weld contour.
!Tvyhrryqvt

For simultaneous welding (see Fig. 2.3), a special arrangement of the laser-diodes and an appropriate,
product-specific optical system shapes the laser-beam in such a way as to illuminate the whole weld
contour simultaneously. No relative motion of the parts
and the laser beam is necessary and very short processing
times are obtained.

"Rhvvyhrryqvt

The laser beam rapidly scans the complete weld contour.

If required, the scan is repeated one or more times. Thus,
irradiation is serial but the whole contour is in the
weakened / molten state at the same time, if the timeinterval between successive scans is sufficiently short
(this is possible because of the low thermal conductivity
of polymers).
Fig. 2.3
#Gvrphryqvt

A line-shaped laser spot moves in the direction that is

perpendicular to its length, so as to irradiate a surface.

Overlap welding with

simultaneous energy input

New advances in polymer laser welding

$Hhxryqvt

Here the shaping of the laser beam is done by a contact perforation mask. Very fine and elaborate weld
lines are possible. In principle, mask welding can be combined with any of the four above-mentioned
methods. Fig. 2.4 shows a combination with line-scan
welding.

Fig. 2.4

Line-scan welding with a maskshaped laser beam

"

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Compared to other techniques, laser welding has all the properties of conventional welding techniques.
Apart from those already mentioned in chapter 1, extra advantages are:

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n

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@pryyrvhyhrhhpr)

Hiddenoverlap joints can be made without affecting part surface.

No or hardly any weld-flash is formed.
No damage to product exterior as only limited mechanical load is exerted during welding.
Xvqrhyvphivyv)

Laser welding is ideally suited for vvhvhv Good-quality bonds can be obtained
even if the available welding area is very small, while process-times can be < 0.5 s.
On the other hand, laser-welding can also be used to advantage for ryhtrqp with
several meters of weld-length.
Thermoplastic ryhrcan be welded.
Trrq)

Very short processing times are possible, depending on product type. Laserwelding can be
practically as fast as ultrasonic welding.
Hvvhyvsyrprurqp)

The heat-affected zone is very small. As a result, built-in stresses are not large.
Sensitive components or parts are not affected, even if these are close to the weld zone. No
electrical fields or mechanical vibrations are generated, contrarious to most other welding
processes.
Xryqvts"9uhrqryqvtp
Qprsyrvivyv)

No extra product part (as compared to induction welding) and no additional materials are
necessary.
No additional structures are necessary in the product, depending on circumstances.

New advances in polymer laser welding

Materials with large differences in processing temperatures have been welded successfully
(Hytrel to Vectra, PA 6 to PA 46).
It may be necessary to use an adapted design of the weld zone
Additional degrees of freedom for product design.
With the proper welding equipment, it is quite easy to switch from one product to another.

some bubbles at
connection piece

5 bar

Testing
f hermeticity (SIEMENS)
Avt"

no bubbles
at weld seam

Fig. 3.1

Testbox with welded, water-tight

lid (Siemens).

Fig. 3.2

bulging

Testing of water-tight bonds

(Siemens)

" !

7qhpqvv

The joint should always be made of an IR transparent part and an IR absorbing part.
Polymeric materials should be compatible, just like other welding techniques. However, some
combinations have been welded by laser, whereas they could not be welded by other techniques.
Homogeneous pressure should be applied during welding. The clamping force is often lower than with
other welding techniques.
Stresses can build up during welding, although these will be lower when compared to the other
welding techniques. Therefore, this will usually present no problems. Still, there are ways to solve
problems, if any, depending on materials and particular applications.

"!

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The joining result is influenced by different parameters. These parameters can be divided into certain
categories, which will be explained in the following.
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Laser properties describe the laser in terms of wavelength, power, intensity distribution, operation mode
etc. The intensity distribution, which can be influenced to some degree by the optical system, may affect
the welding result. The focal length of the optical system influences the free working distance as well as
the minimum spot size. Laser radiation can be applied in various ways: directly onto the workpiece
without additional optics, by means of an optical fibre plus focussing optics, or shaped by an additional
optical device. Defocusing will influence both the intensity and the intensity distribution, but may cause
irregular results if a diode-laser is used without intervening optical fibre. Finally, the laser source can be
operated in continuous wave or in pulsed operation.

New advances in polymer laser welding

"!!

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The most important material properties for applying the laser welding process are the optical properties of
the joining partners. The laser radiation has to be absorbed by the polymers and transformed into heat
energy, while generating a temperature rise above melting (plastification) temperature. The transformation
takes place within the optical penetration depth, which is determined by the absorbency. The optical
properties are mainly: reflection, transmission, absorption, and scattering. These are affected by pigments,
additives and other additional ingredients. There are also chemical properties which influence the welding
process as well as the results, such as the compatibility of the joining partners.
"!"

QprQhhrrhqQrvr

Process parameters hold the key for optimising the process. At the time a process describing parameter
called line energy is commonly used. The reached tensile strength vs. the line energy supplies a characteristic curve (Fig. 3.3), which shows an optiCharacteristic Curve
mum. This optimum defines the parameter set of
Strength
laser power and feed rate for reaching the strongest
optimum
joints. At lower line energies only adhering occurs,
while at higher line energies decomposition occurs.
decomposition
Furthermore, the process is influenced by the way
of irradiation which means the process strategy.
The two extremes are contour welding and simultaneous welding. Since both strategies show different heat up and cool down behaviour also the
time scales of the process as well as the process it
self is influenced.
Furthermore, scanning a beam over the work piece
or applying mask technology are possible.
""

""

adhering
E S := Laser Power P / Feed Rate v
Line Energy E S

Fig. 3.3

Characteristic Curve
Weld Seam Strength vs. Line

Hhrvhy
Uuryhvp

Thermoplastic polymers are made of molecules in which monomeric repeating units are attached together
into long chains. When two products made of a thermoplastic material are welded, the polymer chains
diffuse across the interface and a bond is formed by entanglement of the chains. This applies to all
welding techniques of thermoplastic materials. In simple overlap joints, flow of molten polymer is not
necessary; the bond is only formed by diffusion. Diffusion does not seem to be a limiting factor: We have
evidence that materials with a very high melt flow index (Hostaform H4320) can form strong welds.
The low thermal conductivity of thermoplastics keeps the cooling rate after irradiation sufficiently low for
the formation of strong bonds. This is an important and advantageous difference with metals where heat is
easily transported away from the weld area.
Since the formation of a bond requires diffusion of polymer chains, some degree of miscibility is
necessary for welding. Usually, different types of polymers are not miscible and the strongest welds can
be made when both parts of the joint are made of the same polymer. Welds of dissimilar materials can be
made as long as the materials have some degree of compatibility.
In the case of laser welding, the energy which is required to melt the materials near the interface, is
deposited into the material by an infrared laser. In most cases overlap welding is used. For this variant

New advances in polymer laser welding

of laser welding, one part has to be transparent and the other should absorb the laser, as described in
chapter 2. Since most polymers are transparent for the infrared laser radiation, which has a range of 800
to 1100 nm, absorbing additives are needed in the absorbing part of the joint. For colored parts which do
not absorb in the IR, special IR absorbing additives (or IRAs) should be used with a low level of visible
color.
The IR laser radiation penetrates the transparent part and irradiates the interface between the product
parts. In many polymers there are several phenomena, which lead to scattering of the incoming IR
radiation. Sources of light scattering are mineral fillers, glass fibers or crystallinity of the polymers. An
example of a strongly scattering material is PBT. All these phenomena result in a broader intensity
distribution at the weld area.
""!

PthvpDshrqhiir

Dqpv

Polymers can be joined by a variety of methods which are already in use (eg glueing). However, the
durability of the joints is often poor and the opportunities for joining especially small (particularly micro)
components, is limited.
It is possible, however, to obtain very good joints by incorporating organic IR absorbing materials into a
polymer and then laser welding onto a non-IRA containing polymer. More details of the IR absorbing
materials, the key parameters they need to have for, and how they can be used in laser diode welding, are
given below.
DS6iir

The key properties needed for laser diode welding include

good-high stability (especially to the temperatures reached during extrusion)

high absorption at wavelength of laser diode being used
polymer compatible
high strength/low colour
cost effective
non-toxic

The most well-known organic IR absorbing material is carbon. Potential benefits of carbon in polymer
welding include its low cost, excellent stabilty and good polymer dispersibility. A major disadvantage is
its colour - which means that it is not possible to weld coloured (non-black) polymers to each other
without having an effect on the overall polymer colour.
Alternatives to carbon are provided by special IR absorbers. An example is Avecias range of IR dyes the PRO-JETs. These dyes have the desired features listed above and they can be used at concentrations
<0.1 %. Thus, the degree of colour in the polymer is low, yet welding properties are good. At these levels,
there is very little colour impact of the PRO-JETs when mixed with conventional colourants (either
pigments or dyes). Moreover, the economics of the system are also acceptable.

New advances in polymer laser welding

"""

10

QyrHhv

The idea of the Polymer Matrix (Fig. 3.4) is giving a rough overview of thermoplastic polymers welded
within the POLYWELD Project.
However, the Polymer Matrix does not lay claim to completeness.
It is not possible to integrate all influencing parameters and aspects within the Polymer Matrix as well as
making all the information comparable.
Therefore, some aspects influencing the weldability should be mentioned very briefly offside from the
Polymer Matrix it self (see also chapter 3.2).
1. A considerable fraction of the experiments were performed using flat test samples of 2 mm thickness.
The transparent joining partner contained no pigments at all, whereas the absorbing partner contained
one or more of various pigments; in many cases, the pigment was carbon black in a concentration of
0.3 w.%.
2. The weldability of polymers may depend on the supplier and the manufacturing history.
3. Optical properties change with thickness, pigment concentration, pigment supplier, glass fibre
content and processing history.
4. The assessment of weld seam quality involves strength and optical appearance, while the latter is
more or less subjective.
5. The weld quality was not optimised for all materials.
Ranking scale:
+ strong welds are obtained showing good optical appearance
+/- depending on the supplier both strong welds showing good visual appearance were obtained, as well
as very poor or moderate welds.
no or no good weld was realised
open space: not tested so far
Please keep two things in mind:
a. Each assessment sign is based upon quite some information covering a wide range of aspects.
b. This matrix has a relative value since the data behind it is much less compared to the data available
for classical welding methods at the moment.

Fig. 3.4

11

QG@6T@IPU@)

The matrix has a relative value!

Since the data behind it is much less compared to data available for classical welding methods at the moment.

Polymer Matrix, giving a rough overview of thermoplastic polymers welded the contributors.

New advances in polymer laser welding

New advances in polymer laser welding

"#

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"#

12

Ghr

The "many-sided tool" laser has its firm place in modern manufacturing technology. Even if laser materials processing of metal is the most prominent application, there is a huge market for marking of polymers.
Joining of polymers with lasers could not reach a reasonable market share so far. This may change by the
appearance of a new, reliable, cost effective, small sized laser source: high power diode laser.
There are different lasers available, while they can be classified under different view points, such as their
active medium or the emitted wavelength. Different active media correspond to gas- , semiconductor, dye
or solid-state-lasers. The emitted laser light ranges from ultra-violet to the infra-red radiation (diode lasers). The most prominent lasers for materials processing, CO2 (gas), Nd-YAG (solid-state), diode (semiconductor) and excimer (gas) lasers.
Since approx. 1995, high-power near-infrared GaAs-based laser diodes are becoming available for
laboratory use. These lasers (wavelength 800 1000 nm) became attractive due to their lower price. It
has been demonstrated, that this technology with its small size, good beam quality and life time is suited
for polymer welding applications.

9vqrGhr

Since diode lasers are most commonly used for polymer welding they are explained in more detail. From a
single diode laser element only a few milliwatts can be extracted from the pn-transition; such elements are
e.g. used for communication or in CDelectrical contacts
ROM's. But the power of course is by far
laser mirror
not sufficient for materials processing.
GaAs-bar
Therefore, many of such basic units are
integrated in one semi-conductor element,
which is called a diode laser bar. A laser
emitter groups
(magnified)
bar (see fig. 3.5) has a size of ca. 10000 x
Single emitters
1000 x 115 m. The special way how the
light is generated in the pn-transition leads
to emission characteristics, which are
unusual for a laser: the emission shows a
Fig. 3.5 Principle Scheme of a Diode Laser Bar
large divergence from a very narrow slit in
the direction of the pn-transition ("fast-axis") and a smaller divergence but a wide emitting stripe in the
plane of the pn-transition ("slow-axis").
A single diode laser bar can be driven as high as 50 or 60 A. This in turn results in a laser power of 40 to
50 W per diode laser bar. Two or more diode laser bars integrated in one lasers system are called a diode
laser stack, which allows to increase the output power even more.
As mentioned above diode laser radiation shows different divergence angles perpendicular to the emission
direction. Sophisticated optical design allows coupling the radiation into an optical fibre or using it for direct irradiation, while the intensity distribution can be adapted to the process needs [pat. 2, 3].

Gvsrvrhq6tvt@ssrps9vqrGhr

For an industrial application, long lifetime and as few service breaks as possible are mandatory. Diode lasers are almost service free. Semiconductor elements typically do not show sudden defects, if they are
manufactured properly, but slowly degrade over a certain time. Thus, definition of lifetime for high power
diode lasers has been defined (not yet as an international standard, but rather as a silent agreement) as a
20% loss of optical output power at a constant current. Practically, the current is increased to

New advances in polymer laser welding

13

maintain constant optical output power for the process. Using this definition, a lifetime up to 10.000
hours is guaranteed from laser manufacturers, before the diode laser has to be replaced.
GhrTrsQyrXryqvt

Diode laser systems for serial welding typically provide several 10 Watts, which can be either delivered
directly from the laser bar, a system consisting of stacked bars (fig. 3.7) or from an optical fibre (fig. 3.6).
If no fibre is used, the spot has a rectangular or square shaped beam profile.

Fig. 3.6 ROFIN DFx03 30 W diode laser system

(400 m fiber beam delivery)

"#!

Fig. 3.7 ROFIN DLx15 150 W diode laser system

(min. spot size 0.6 x 1.2. mm)

Qpr8yTr

As known from previous sections, laser welding has to take place within a certain process window
(fig. 3.3). If only a narrow process window exists, i.e. the process becomes sensitive to laser power: Too
low power is not sufficient for melting, whereas too high power leads to decomposition. In some cases the
acceptable temperature range may
cover only a few 10 C. In these
R
> 80%
cases, little deviations from an ideal
)
T (l > 15 - 90%
T
> 85%
T
> 50%
surface or from an accurate feed
T
> 80%
> 99,5%
R
rate may cause severe damage of
the material. In order to obtain a
reproducible and high quality weld,
it is important to get a constant
temperature at the interface
between the joining partners.
Therefore, process monitoring and
Fig. 3.8 Laser head with
control systems are being developed
beam delivery, camera
in order to increase the productivity
and pyrometer control.
and maintain constant quality of the
products.
Hyvyvr svyr)

1400-2500

Ipusvyr)

400-700

vis

vis. average

phrh rr

1300-2500
800-950

Avir

8yyvhvyr

Xxvtvp

An active control system is shown

in fig. 3.8. The laser head consists of a laser beam delivery, a camera for easy positioning of the laser
beam as well as a pyrometer. The pyrometer detects the heat radiation and converts it into an electrical

New advances in polymer laser welding

14

signal which is proportional to the surface temperature of the weld zone. The pyrometer signal can fed
back into the power supply as a control signal (feedback loop) adjusting the laser power keeping the
surface temperature in the weld zone constant (fig. 3.9). Therefore, this process control system regulates
the laser power (and/or the welding speed) to keep the process temperature constant.
Figure 3.9 shows detected pyrometer signals with and without the feedback loop as well as the
corresponding welding results. While in the top pictures the laser power is kept constant the weld shows
defects in the corners of the triangle. If the feedback loop is used, the temperature is maintained at a
(almost) constant level while adjusting the laser power via the pyrometer process control (feedback loop).
The weld does not show any defects anymore.

Fig. 3.9

Welding results applying a feedback loop based on pyrometer technology

top :
no process control, bad welding results (decomposition in the corners)
bottom: applied process control, good welding all over the weld seam
(ILT)

All applied systems are based on pyrometer technology, while the detector can be applied as internal or
external (outside or inside the laser head) process control unit.
"#"

Qqp8yhvt

Qr

Three reasons can exist for using a clamping tool:

1. To keep the top-part in its proper place (only necessary if positioning is not done automatically by the
product design).
2. The formation of a bond requires thermal contact and diffusion across the interface. Therefore, the the
upper product part has to be pressed against the lower part along the complete welding contour. This
is particularly important if gaps between both parts are present due to dimensional tolerances and the
weld has to be closed hermetically.
3. During cooling (after the laser-beam has been switched off), some pressure is needed in order to
ensure that the molten polymer in the weld zone has a strong, compact structure after solidification.
Depending on the product and the material, the weight of the product can already give sufficient
pressure but an additional force is usually needed.

New advances in polymer laser welding

15

Qvpvyr

In principle, hardly or no material displacement has to take place with laser welding. There are situations,
however, where some materials displacement occurs, for instance if gaps between both product parts have
to be closed. In that case, the upper product part will move a little downwards during welding. Therefore
it is important that the clamping force be maintained in spite of this movement. If an air-cylinder is used,
the slip-stick effect should be minimal, as with all other polymer welding processes.
The clamping force has to be applied close to the weld zone. Preferably directly on top of the weld. This is
only possible if the clamping tool is transparent for the laser radiation. This leaves two strategies for
clamping.
Hruq

1. The clamping tool is provided with an opening directly above the weld zone, so the clamping force is
applied in the immediate vicinity of the weld.
2. The clamping tool is transparent and is positioned on top of the weld zone.
In case of method 1, a special situation arises if the weld has to be made on the outer fringe of the product
and has to be hermetically closed. If the weld would not be on the outmost fringe, the clamping force
could be applied simply outside the weld contour. If the outer fringe is the same as the weld zone,
however, clamping has to be done inside the weld contour so the laser beam is blocked by the fixation of
the clamping tool. Therefore, the fixation has to be transparent to the laser radiation, which can be
realised by any one of several methods.
"$

XryqBrr

Just as with every other welding process, the design of the weld geometry is an important factor for
successful laser welding. There are cases where products designed for ultrasonic, induction welding or
adhesive bonding could be very well laser-welded without any change of the product design. However, in
general the design of the weld zone deserves special consideration, while it has to be distinguished
between external and internal welding geometry.
"$

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All considerations concerning the weld geometry start with a definition of the requirements.
These can refer to e.g.:
-

strength
visual appearance
Should the weld be hidden ?
Is a special weld-flange allowed ?
Should the weld be completely closed ?
Should the weld be air-tight, water-tight, dust-tight, resistant to high electrical fields ?
Do both product parts fit closely or are substantial gaps present in the weld zone ?

The properties of the weld contour constitute another important point:

- Does the weld consist of one or more separate points or is it a continuous line ?
- Is the weld contour 2- or 3-dimensional ?
A 3d contour will usually give rise to gaps in the weld zone due to moulding tolerances.
Also the materials or the material combination to be weld has to considered:

New advances in polymer laser welding

16

- High thermal expansion of polymers will cause mould-shrinkage and irregularities of the product
shape, and will therefore lead to gaps between both parts.
On the other hand, the same phenomenon makes it possible to bridge gaps, because of the expansion of
polymer during the welding process.
- The difference between the decomposition temperature of the material and its melting point or
softening range has influence on both the process and the product shape in the weld zone. If the
difference is large, the requirements are not very tight and vice versa.
- If the laser-transparent part has a high absorption or scattering of laser-radiation, its thickness has to
be limited. This may necessitate a special weld-flange or a special wall-shape, see figure 3.10.

"$!

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The external weld geometry is considered as the (macroscopic) geometry of the two joining partners where
they are in contact. Different possibilities of the design of the external weld geometry of overlap welded
parts are shown in Fig.3.10. These different designs allow applying overlap welding while obtaining
different shapes of the weld area.

Fig. 3.10

Different designs of the external weld geometry

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The internal weld geometry is considered as the (microscopic) geometry of the area where the weld seam
is generated. It will be clear that simple recipes cannot be given for the design of the internal weld
geometry. However, some general remarks may be given:
- generally, it is wise to make the gap between both joining partners as small as possible over the
complete welding area.
- Some sort of a weld rill is certainly required if all of the following conditions are met:
the weld has to be hermetically closed
thermal expansion of the material is not high
Gaps of the order of 0.1 mm or larger may exist between both parts
the laser-transparent part is not flexible
process speed is important

New advances in polymer laser welding

17

- Also other reasons may exist to apply a special weld rill, for instance special requirements on strength.
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The most important criteria for the determination of weld quality are the strength and the optical
appearance of a weld. Both are discussed in this chapter.
The strength of a weld arises from the diffusion of polymer chains across the interface between the welded
parts. The optimum strength is achieved when polymer chains in the weld form entanglements, just as they
do in the bulk of the polymer. Tensile testing experiments suggest that the geometry of the weld is
probably more a limiting factor for the development of strength, than the welded interface itself.
Figures 3.11a and 3.11b show typical cross-sections of welded overlap joints. In figure 3.10a the
absorbing part is in the lower part of the picture and the transparent part in the upper one (the white line
in the picture is an artifact resulting from the preparation of the sample). The laser radiation entered the
weld area from the upper part of the picture. The rather vague, dark line indicates the outside of the heataffected zone. A schematic representation of the weld zone is displayed in figure 3.12. In optical
microscope images, the boundary of the heat-affected zone can clearly be indicated, because of
recrystallization. The depth of penetration of the laser beam into the CB containing material is given by
dCB, whereas the depth of the heat-affected zone in the natural material is given by dNAT. The width of the
weld is indicated as w.

Fig. 3.11 a
Fig. 3.11 a and b

Fig. 3.12

Fig 3.11 b
Optical transmission images of welds in PP

Schematic representation of the weld area

(see text for explanation of the parameters).

New advances in polymer laser welding

18

When carbon black is used as an absorber for the IR laser, strong bonds can be formed in most cases
when concentrations are used ranging from ca 0.1 to 1 wt%, depending on the welding parameters.
Sometimes a hole is formed in the middle of the weld, as shown figure 3.11b. The origin of this hole may
be shrinkage. In most cases observed however, the presence of a hole did not deteriorate the strength of
the weld.
The optical appearance of the weld does not pose serious problems in most cases, since the weld is hidden
between two product parts. Depending on the type of product, problems may arise when optically
transparent materials are welded and the weld is visible. Also, when dCB is similar to the dimensions of the
product, sink marks can appear on the surface of the product. However, a typical value for dCB is in the
order of hsruqrq UuvvhyyuhvqpvxhxqppqCB increases
with decreasing carbon black content. dNAT does not vary strongly with carbon black content.
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In this chapter some product areas are discussed which illustrate some of the special advantages of
laserwelding

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In this field, laser welding technology has come closer to practical use for products such as disposable
for body liquid testing. Due to the potential of laser welding for making accurate, high quality,
miniature joints, advantages in function, process time and economics are expected, which are
promising for a wide range of these applications.

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Fig 4.1 Fluidic test device where the welding seams are required to provide the sealing function between
adjacent fluid channels, and where the fluid channels have a complex geometric shape (STEAG
microParts)

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In the area of miniature products the introduction of polymer laser welding technology is related to
some general trends: continuing miniaturisation and increasing use of polymers in miniature products.
Especially for optical information storage devices laser is an alternative for the present-day adhesive
bonding process. Driving forces are yield and product quality.

New advances in polymer laser welding

19

Fig 4.2 Optical unit (PHILIPS)

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Important opportunities are seen with the encapsulation of electronic components and with welding of
housings in general. An important advantage compared to adhesive bonding is the absence of
contamination. Another advantage is that thermal and mechanical load are applied only locally, and
not to the whole product.

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The automotive industry is a high potential area for

introduction of laser welding technology; for exterior
applications, welding of lighting systems is under
investigation. One of the requirements, however, is that the
joint design must be specific for laser welding. Many of the
lighting assemblies currently produced are designed for
vibration and hot plate welding and have a poor fit on the
joint. Due to the low stresses induced by laser welding after
treatment is not necessary.
Other exterior applications for laser welders will be in the
production of all-plastic cars (body and frame) and for
interior applications, such as carpeted panels and
instruments panel skins that are currently glued together,
process that required long time and labour intensive.
A lot of the potential application for polymers laser welding are

Fig. 4.3 Laser welded gasoline

Filter housing
(FIAT CRF)

under car hood; many electronic modules

requires hermitic welds as well as
gasoline filter housings or for example
the oil tank.
Other applications for under-the-hood
are in welding of air-intake manifolds; as
these components evolve away from lostcore technology, vibration welding will
have to became more and more complex
in order to handle the welding of multidimensional manifolds. Laser welding
may be able to overcome some of the
problems faced with vibration welding.

Fig. 4.4 Air-intake manifold (FIAT CRF)

New advances in polymer laser welding

20

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In these products the styling aspect is of increasing importance. For welding this implies: welding
without causing any damage, 3D-weld-contours and freedom of design. In addition, water tightness is
becoming increasingly important. Laser welding of polymers is tuned in to this trend in the market of
consumer products.

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Laser welding technology is under developing to

replace the existing gluing process; the effort spent
for the final objective will be justifiable, technically
as well economically. In this area the request from
customers becomes continuously more demanding
to maintain the actual price level of the products. In
order to meet their request, technological innovation
as well as materials and process development are
the right parameters to work with so as to guarantee
the quality of the products and the employment
which this production entails. Introduction of laser
welding technology seems to fulfil all these
requirements.

Fig 4.5

Laser welded double-walled windows

(THERMOFORM)

New advances in polymer laser welding

21

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This publication summarises results and insights gained from the Polyweld project. This is a BriteEuram
project aiming at the development of laser welding as a new joining technique for polymeric materials.
The European Commision is acknowledged for financial support under the IMT/SMT programmes
(1994-1998). The Polyweld project started in 1998 as BriteEuram project BE 97-4625, contract no.
BRPR-CT98-0634.

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P. van Engen
F. Lupp
L. Bolognese
M. Hempel
B. Palfelt
F. Bachmann
U. Russek
J. Campbell
R. Korbee
K. Grim

Philips CFT
Siemens
Fiat CRF
STEAG microParts
Thermoform
Rofin Sinar
FhG-ILT
Avecia
DSM Research
KU Leuven

New advances in polymer laser welding

22

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