Laser and manufacturing methods for efficient mass production of electric vehicle components

TRUMPF laser technology for the welding of hairpins © TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG

The high-technology company TRUMPF is benefiting from the auto industry's shift toward e-mobility. At the recent Automotive Photonics technology conference, auto industry representatives presented the very latest e-mobility technologies and manufacturing methods. 

One of TRUMPF's key contributions is a new laser that is better suited to welding copper than any other laser – a key development driven by TRUMPF laser specialists as part of the company's e-mobility strategy. 

Regarded as the most important material for conducting electricity, copper plays an essential role in the e-mobility sector. The new laser offers a more efficient means of welding copper for applications such as the high-power electronic systems used in electric cars.

"The transition toward e-mobility offers some major opportunities for German industry," said Christian Schmitz, head of the Laser Technology division at TRUMPF, at a press conference held during the technology conference. 

"The important thing now is to rapidly address the new areas of business and technology that are emerging from this structural transformation." 

TRUMPF expects further growth for its own business as a result of the change in the automotive industry. The company's sales of products and solutions that are channeled straight into e-mobility have doubled compared to figures for the previous year. 

"Twenty percent of our order intake from the auto industry is now coming from e-mobility – that's twice as much as last year," Schmitz says.

How TRUMPF managed the switch to e-mobility

Laser welding of a battery tray for electric vehicles in the laser laboratory © TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG

TRUMPF has supported these structural changes in the auto industry as a pioneering force in its specialist field, building up a worldwide network of experts entirely dedicated to e-mobility. 

As well as adapting part of its product and technology portfolio to the demands of e-mobility, the company has also simultaneously embarked on a series of new development projects. 

"The fact that we have succeeded in shifting our focus to e-mobility in such a relatively short space of time is primarily due to our decades of experience in the high-tech sector and our specific expertise in the auto industry," says Schmitz. 

One example has been TRUMPF's success in transferring its knowledge of battery pack technology and manufacturing from the medical devices sector to e-mobility.

Structural change brings further growth for TRUMPF

TRUMPF application engineer in the laser laboratory welding a battery tray © TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG

On top of the existing auto industry, plenty of other players are also entering the automotive market, including disruptive start-ups from all over the world, Chinese companies and new companies from various fields, predominantly in battery manufacturing. 

"We have the products, technologies and manufacturing expertise we need to equip all these companies with e-mobility solutions, both existing industry players and market newcomers. We already have development partnerships with traditional automakers, and we've been involved in the development process at key start-ups from the very beginning. In terms of up-and-coming companies from China, our years of technology experience have made us a sought-after partner in the field of battery manufacturing," says Schmitz.

Source: TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG