The present invention relates to a method for joining a first blank and a second blank, wherein at least one of the first and second blanks comprises at least a layer of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In particular, the method comprises placing the first and second blanks for welding; laser welding the first and second blanks following a welding path thus forming a tailor welded blank, wherein the welding path combines a linear movement along a welding direction and oscillating movements substantially transverse to the welding direction and then hot deforming and quenching the tailor welded blank to form a component, wherein the welding is done without using a filler.

A system for LAM that uses a scalable array of individually controllable laser beams that are generated by a fiber array system to process materials into an object using a powder bed, wire feed, or direct deposition. The adaptive control of individual beams may include beam power, focal spot width, centroid position, scanning orientation, amplitude and frequency, piston phase and polarization states of individual beams. These characteristics can be independently adjusted to control LAM characteristics including microstructure, mechanical and surface quality characteristics. The system may also have a set of material sensors that gather information on a material and environment immediately before, during, and immediately after processing. This information can be used to adapt the material processing routine to improve LAM productivity and parts quality. The system also supports a variety of beam shaping methods that improve the quality of produced objects or mitigate processing issues.

A system for LAM that uses a scalable array of individually controllable laser beams that are generated by a fiber array system to process materials into an object using a powder bed, wire feed, or direct deposition. The adaptive control of individual beams may include beam power, focal spot width, centroid position, scanning orientation, amplitude and frequency, piston phase and polarization states of individual beams. These characteristics can be independently adjusted to control LAM characteristics including microstructure, mechanical and surface quality characteristics. The system may also have a set of material sensors that gather information on a material and environment immediately before, during, and immediately after processing. This information can be used to adapt the material processing routine to improve LAM productivity and parts quality. The system also supports a variety of beam shaping methods that improve the quality of produced objects or mitigate processing issues.

A welding method and device for joining first and second workpieces using a high-energy machining beam. The method comprising inserting the first workpiece into a workpiece holder; positioning the second workpiece on a top side of the first workpiece at a target position for joining the workpieces; providing a high-energy machining beam, and focusing the machining beam on a current machining area; generating a measuring beam in an optical coherent tomograph, the measuring beam being coupleable into the machining beam; carrying out a process measurement by the measuring beam in the current machining area during machining of the workpieces; carrying out a control measurement by the measuring beam on at least one of the workpieces; and determining a distance between the first and second workpieces for detecting a gap between the workpieces, based on the result of the control measurement.

A welding method and device for joining first and second workpieces using a high-energy machining beam. The method comprising inserting the first workpiece into a workpiece holder; positioning the second workpiece on a top side of the first workpiece at a target position for joining the workpieces; providing a high-energy machining beam, and focusing the machining beam on a current machining area; generating a measuring beam in an optical coherent tomograph, the measuring beam being coupleable into the machining beam; carrying out a process measurement by the measuring beam in the current machining area during machining of the workpieces; carrying out a control measurement by the measuring beam on at least one of the workpieces; and determining a distance between the first and second workpieces for detecting a gap between the workpieces, based on the result of the control measurement.

A laser machining apparatus includes: a laser beam emission device; a visible laser beam emission device; a scanner; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: generating machining data including coordinate data representing a machining pattern to be machined on a workpiece; machining the workpiece with a laser beam according to the machining data by controlling the laser beam emission device and the scanner; generating, in response to receiving a resuming command after the machining has been halted at a stopping position, a guide pattern based on a stopping point coordinate and the machining data, the guide pattern being used for resuming the machining from the stopping position, the stopping point coordinate indicating the stopping position and being determined by the coordinate data; and projecting the guide pattern onto the workpiece with a visible laser beam by controlling the visible laser beam emission device and the scanner.

A laser machining apparatus includes: a laser beam emission device; a visible laser beam emission device; a scanner; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: generating machining data including coordinate data representing a machining pattern to be machined on a workpiece; machining the workpiece with a laser beam according to the machining data by controlling the laser beam emission device and the scanner; generating, in response to receiving a resuming command after the machining has been halted at a stopping position, a guide pattern based on a stopping point coordinate and the machining data, the guide pattern being used for resuming the machining from the stopping position, the stopping point coordinate indicating the stopping position and being determined by the coordinate data; and projecting the guide pattern onto the workpiece with a visible laser beam by controlling the visible laser beam emission device and the scanner.

Disclosed example weld tracking system include a plurality of tracking anchors, each of the tracking anchors configured to: transmit a triggering signal, and transmit a response signal, or receive a response signal from a tracking tag; a welding device having the tracking tag attached to the welding device, the tracking tag configured to receive the triggering signal and receive the response signal, or receive the triggering signal and transmit the response signal in response to receiving the triggering signal; and a processing system configured to determine a distance between the tracking anchor and the tracking tag based on a time between the response signal being received and the triggering signal being sent or received, and determine a location of the welding device based on predetermined locations of the plurality of tracking anchors, and based on determined distances between the at least one tracking tag on the welding device and corresponding ones of the plurality of tracking anchors.

A frame is described for positioning a battery using a vision system to determine at least one weld point on the battery. The frame includes at least one visual reference feature detectable by the vision system. The reference feature is used by the vision system to determine the weld point(s). For example, the at least one visual reference feature includes a pair of stubs that define a line, and the at least one weld point is determined based on the line. In a further example, the pair of stubs correspond to respective batteries, which are arranged adjacent to one another within the frame. In a further example, respective centers of the stubs are lined up along a center line extending from respective centers of respective end faces of the respective batteries. The vision system includes vision circuitry, processing circuitry coupled to the vision circuitry, and a weld system.

A laser machining system includes: a laser irradiation device that irradiates a workpiece with a laser beam; a workpiece moving device that moves the workpiece; a laser irradiation controller that controls the laser irradiation device to control an irradiation position of the laser beam; and a workpiece move controller that controls the workpiece moving device to control at least one of the position and the posture of the workpiece. The workpiece move controller transmits information about at least one of the position and the posture of the workpiece to the laser irradiation controller. The laser irradiation controller compensates for the irradiation position of the laser beam based on the information received from the workpiece move controller.