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Loading Laser technology
The Trumpf Group is a worldwide
leader in machine tools with annual
sales of about €1.6bn (2.bn) and
6,500 employees in the business year
2005/06. Trumpf is the global market
leader in laser technology for industrial
applications including (but not limited
to) sheet metal fabrication. Trumpf's
broad spectrum of CO2 and solid-state
lasers, as well as 2D- and 3D-laser systems
for cutting, welding and laser forming
contributes to two-thirds of Trumpf's total
annual revenues. (For more information
on the Trumpf Group please refer to the
laser section.)
Laser welding
The laser is a powerful and yet very
versatile and flexible tool. Countless
tasks from spot welding electronics and
precision parts to the welding of car
bodies and stainless steel pipes are their
daily work. Using lasers for welding yields
various specific advantages:
• It is fast, precise and virtually without
wear as laser processing works without
physical contact. Also, laser welding needs
only single sided access. Working from
a distance with a narrow beam of light in
ordinary atmosphere, laser welding needs
less accessibility. Even hidden weld seams
can be realized.
• Focussing the laser light to a very
small spot reduces the heat input into the
workpiece reducing distortion and eases
or even eliminates reworking and postprocessing.
The low heat input can be
specifically helpful when processing heat
sensitive and very small parts.
• The focused heat input also has
metallurgical advantages such as
corrosion-resistant weld seams in stainless
steel. In general, it enables for more
efficient downstream processing of the
welded parts. And many materials difficult
to join conventionally can be welded using
laser light.
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