Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930 DOI 10.

1007/s00170-009-2124-6

SPECIAL ISSUE - ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Advances in hybrid laser joining

Jens Holtkamp & Andreas Roesner & Arnold Gillner

Received: 9 March 2009 / Accepted: 19 May 2009 / Published online: 13 June 2009 # Springer-Verlag London Limited 2009

Abstract The increasing use of plastics as a construction material has given rise to the problem of how to join dissimilar materials. For the production of hybrid plastic metal components, several processes are possible. In a new joining method LIFTEC, recently developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, a part or a defined area of a part is heated by laser radiation through the plastic component with which it is to be joined. The part is held in contact with the plastic component under mechanical pressure and heated; then, further mechanical pressure is applied to press it into the plastic material. A stable positive bond is achieved during cooling, provided that a suitable component geometry has been selected. An important aspect of the process is that the part to be heated should have a higher melting point than the plastic component with which it is to be joined. The more heat resistant of the two parts/components can be metal, ceramic, or a heat-resistant plastic. The high energy density of the laser beam permits the heating stage to be accomplished very rapidly. Another approach is pursued within the Cluster of Excellence Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries of the RWTH Aachen University. Multiple irradiation strategies in line

with the choice of the material, the beam source, and the pretreatment of the samples are investigated. In a first experimental series, the influence of the surface structure on the joining process is examined. A structure in dot, line, and cross pattern is implemented on the surface of stainlesssteel samples with Nd:YAG laser radiation. Afterwards, these samples are joined with transparent plastic samples. For the laser beam transmission joining process, contour or quasi-simultaneous irradiation strategies are considered while using diode laser power. The results show promising achievements, with good strength being obtained. Keywords Laser joining . LIFTEC . Metal . Plastics . Transmission joining

1 Introduction The ongoing trends concerning increased levels of integration in many technical products and the increased use of plastics as construction material are challenges for many manufacturers regarding the connection of dissimilar materials, such as plastics with metals. The requirements for consumer products as well as for technical components are a flexible joining technique with short cycle times and a broad field of application. New methods of processing in plastics technology can support further penetration of the market and contribute to sustainability by saving weight and conserving resources. Plastic components can be formed easily, which thereby enables many design possibilities. Low density and chemical resistance are additional reasons for the increased application of this material. On the other hand, high strength is a characteristic and important advantage of metals. The combination of the materials results in the combination of these positive properties. The

J. Holtkamp (*) : A. Roesner : A. Gillner Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Steinbachstr. 15, 52074 Aachen, Germany e-mail: jens.holtkamp@ilt.fraunhofer.de URL: www.ilt-fraunhofer.de A. Roesner e-mail: andreas.roesner@ilt.fraunhofer.de A. Gillner e-mail: arnold.gillner@ilt.fraunhofer.de

924

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

principal fields of applications are anywhere where this combination of properties is reasonable, such as in the medical or automotive industries.

2 State-of-the-art Until now, the connection of these materials has usually been performed by gluing, screwed fastening, or the socalled mold-in technique. Hereby, the properties of the particular process define the area of application. Clamped or screwed joints allow a detachable connection, while form-closed connections are able to transmit high power, free from backlash. Gluing is usually applied for large areas. A complex preparation of the components is necessary for all mechanical connections. The attachment points are often limited by design specifications. Glued joints require extensive preparation and long curing times. In addition, they suffer from deterioration by external influences. The most commonly used connection technique for plastics with metal is the mold-in technique during injection molding. For this, the mechanical component is placed in an adapted tool prior to the injection molding process. Optimal process results require tight tolerances of the tool and the use of high-precision components. Moreover, part handling is difficult. A subsequent joint of plastic with metal is not possible using this process. A process for a subsequent joint is the so-called postmolding technique, which is used mainly for thread inserts, heated by induction and then pressed into the plastic component. Thereby, the plastic melts and surrounds the metallic part. After cooling down, a form-closed connection is achieved. However, the whole of the metal component has to be heated; and ceramics cannot be processed. The positioning of the inductor is often difficult and the heat input not sufficient for small structure sizes [1, 2].

can be a bump, a drilled hole, or a groove, for example. Figure 1 shows the described process. The material displaced upward leads to unwanted bulging on the surface of the part. This can be eliminated, or at least reduced, by an additional cavity or by drilling within the part to provide a cavity into which the plastic can flow. An inevitable element of this technology is a component with a higher melting point in comparison to that of the plastic joint partner. Possible materials are mainly metals and ceramics but can also be a temperature-resistant plastic such as Teflon or even wood. The advantages of the technique are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Short cycle times High mechanical strength A nonloosening connection, free from backlash Low requirements regarding tolerances and positioning accuracy No preprocessing or postprocessing necessary Postprocess assembly Synergy effects by material combination Creative freedom in part design

When plastics are used that are not transparent to the laser radiation, the process can be adapted in such a way that the radiation does not transmit through the plastic part but is guided laterally to the component. Heating with laser radiation is, in comparison to heating concepts already in use, quasi-independent of the heat conductivity and the electrical conductivity of the material used. This means that, in addition to metal, ceramic materials can also be joined with plastics. The combination of the properties of these hybrid components offers high mechanical strength, resistance to wear, high temperature stability with, at the same time, reduced weight, and variable-shape forming. Due to the high energy density of laser radiation, which is guided into the tool through a fiber, rapid heating is

3 LIFTEC 3.1 Description of process LIFTECan acronym for Laser-Induced Fusion TEChnologyis a newly developed process based on the fact that every thermoplastic is transparent, or at least translucent, in the unpigmented state. A metal or ceramic component or a part of it is heated by laser radiation through the plastic part. The component is then pressed onto the plastic part and heats the latter by heat conduction. After the plastic part has achieved sufficient plasticity, the component penetrates into it. By choosing an appropriate geometry, a form-closed connection can be obtained: this

Fig. 1 The process sequence

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

925

possible. If necessary, only selected regions can be heated to limit the total amount of absorbed energy. The temperature of the part can be measured by a pyrometer or a thermocouple to control the joining temperature accurately, dependent on the materials and geometries used. Thus, a stress-minimized insertion of the components is possible and damaging overheating does not occur. Different heating geometries can be achieved either by optical elements which generates the required focal geometry or by a scanner system. The latter consist of two highly dynamic mirrors which can achieve any user-defined geometry. The high scanning speed allows quasi-homogeneous heating of a structure, so the selective heating of the part is possible. 3.2 Experiments The aim of the experiments is to evaluate adequate process parameters for the bonding of metal pins with plastics. In addition to high mechanical strength, the optical transparency of the formed components is a criterion in assessing the quality of the joint. A possible application of these components is the joint of rimless plastic eyeglasses at the temple. As the metal material, titanium alloy Ti-Al6-V4 and stainless steel 1.4316 are used. The feasibility of the process is analyzed by using polycarbonate (PC) and polymethyl methacrylate as the plastic material. 3.2.1 Experimental setup As shown in Fig. 2, the metal part is fixed in the upper part of the tool. The lower part consists of a clamping fixture for the plastic sample. Transparent plates made of sapphire or fused quartz integrated into the tool enable irradiation within the closed tool directly onto the surface of the metal, even during the forming operation.

Bubbling

Discoloration

Fig. 3 Defects due to too high a temperature

To apply the forming force, a conventional hydraulic press is used, and, for the laser source, a diode laser (=810 nm) with a maximum output power of 50 W is used. After switching on the laser radiation and reaching the required temperature of 135C, the press starts, controlled by software. The metal part is then pressed into the plastic sample. The plastic samples used in the experiments have a thickness of 3 mm, and the diameter of the metal pins is 2 mm. Additional plastic samples with a thickness of 10 mm are used to test the strength of the connection, which depends on the depth of penetration into the plastic part. A mechanical stop for the press ensures a constant penetration depth by stopping the procedure after reaching a stroke of 2 mm. For a subsequent comparison of the mechanical strengths of the connection, different geometries are adopted in order to create form closure: 1. 2. 3. 4. Untreated metal bolt Metal bold roughened by sand blasting In-center-flattened metal bolt Grooved metal bolt

3.2.2 Process parameters In preliminary tests, the parameter range for pressing the heated metal pins into the plastic samples was identified. The laser power and the corresponding change of temperature of the metal part have the widest influence on the quality of the joint. It can be ascertained that: 1. At temperatures of below 125C, no fusion can be achieved. The plastic samples do not yield into the structure of the metal part (e.g., a groove) and may even break. 2. At temperatures of between 125C and 140C, a strong connection without errors within the samples can be achieved. 3. At temperatures of above 140C, bubbling and discoloration of the samples are detected (see Fig. 3). In addition to the bonding temperature, the penetration speed of the metal part into the plastic component is also an important process parameter. To prevent cracking, an upper limit for the speed of the bolt into the sample is set by the

F PMMA / PC

Fixture Metal pin

Blank holder

Sapphire Laser radiation

Fig. 2 Schematic drawing of the experimental setup

926

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

time needed for melting of the plastic. In speeds below that depth, strengths of between 300 and 500 N are achieved. Speeds below that limit do not influence the quality of the joint, but the cycle time of the process should be taken into account. Therefore, speeds too slow are inappropriate. This series of tests is carried out at a speed of 1 mm/s for moving the metal pin into the plastic part. The advantages of pyrometry for the detection of the process temperatures can be found in the noncontact measurement, the quick response time, and the resulting feasibility for process control. Disadvantages are the adjustment of the pyrometer parameters upon every particular component and the fault liability of the measurement as well as difficult positioning within the experimental setup. Due to a highly fluctuating measure and compared to a thermocouple and the required recalibration for each part due to a changing emissivity, the use of pyrometry is discarded for these experiments. Instead, the part temperatures are recorded against time for different laser powers, so the time until reaching forming temperature can be read off for selected laser powers (Fig. 4). While high power output enables an appropriate forming temperature after short heating times (e.g., 5 s at 25 W), lower outputs (<17 W) are not sensitive regarding a deviation from temperature for differing heating times. To reduce the cycle time, a peripheral software control for variable regulation of the power output is used, which allows reduction of the heating time by a time-dependant power modulation. A high power output is applied to reach the intended temperature, then a lower output to keep the temperature constant. An example of a temperature-time-curve is shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 4 Temperature vs. heating time for different laser powers

In the present case, there is a heating period of 4 s at 25 W to achieve a temperature of 135C. Afterwards, the laser power is reduced to 16.5 W. 3.2.3 Experimental results After completion of the experiments, pulling tests are performed to determine the maximum strength of the joint. The samples are, therefore, clamped into the gadget and loaded with an increasing tensile load of 1N/s. A preload of 1 N is raised for preventing any slackness. The measurement continues as long as the instantaneous force drops down to 65% of the maximum load reached during the measurement. The results of the tensile test show that an increasing penetration depth leads to a higher strength of the connection, which can be seen in Fig. 7. Furthermore, the tensile tests allow comparison of the different geometries with a screwed connection (Fig. 6). The untreated metal pins as well as the sand-blasted pins cannot endure loads sustained by the screwed joints. However, the flattened and the grooved metal pins achieve strengths with similar or even better values compared to the screwed connection where, dependent on the penetration depth, strengths between 300 and 700 N are achieved.

4 Transmission joining process 4.1 Recent investigations Joining of metal and plastic cannot be expected without due consideration being given to the relevant parameter. Recent experiments [3] have shown that the overlap joining process

Required temperature
200 190 180 170 160 150

Laser power

18 Watt 17.5 Watt 17 Watt 16.5 Watt 16 Watt 15.5 Watt 15 Watt

Temperature (C)

140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Time (sec)

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

140 120

927
800 700

Temperature (C)

600

Force [N]
25 Watt 16,5 Watt
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 1 2 3 4

100 80 60

500 400 300 200

40 20

100 0 2 4 6 8

Time (sec)

Penetration depth [mm]

Fig. 5 Reduction of heating time by modulation of the laser power

Fig. 7 Relationship of force and penetration depth

needs fine process adjustment and the right material combination to achieve a proper joint strength. For many polymermetal combinations, an overlap joining is impossible without any surface treatment. 4.2 Irradiation strategies for laser transmission joining The transmission joining process with diode lasers is a wellknown process for joining two plastic parts in an overlap configuration [4]. Both parts are brought into direct contact prior to welding. One part must be optically transparent for the laser beam wavelength used and the other part should have laser-absorbing abilities. During the welding process, the laser beam is transmitted into the joining area through the transparent part. At this area, the electromagnetic energy is transformed into heat energy because of absorption at the absorbing joining partner. By means of heat conduction, the laser-transparent material is heated and plastified. Four variants of irradiation methods for the laserwelding process have been identified [5]: Contour welding: the laser beam is moved along the weld contour and the joint is therefore made sequentially, Fig. 8a.
Fig. 6 Mechanical strength of different geometries

Mask welding: the welding is done by an extensively irradiated mask, which forms the weld geometry (Fig. 8b). Quasi-simultaneous welding: the contour is scanned quickly in order to supply plastified material over all of the weld contour (Fig. 8c). Simultaneous welding: irradiation of the whole weld contour simultaneously (Fig. 8d). These methods can be used to join hybrid metalplastic connections also. For the joining process of these experiments, contour and quasi-simultaneous methods are considered. 4.3 Pretreatment structuring Several methods of pretreatment can be considered to increase the adhesion between the metal and the plastic components. These experiments investigate the influence of mechanical interlocking. Therefore, stainless-steel (X1CrNi19-9) samples are structured with a Nd:YAG laser and a scanning system. To investigate the influence of different structure densities (SD), the following patterns are used: Dot structure (SD 0.15)

928 Fig. 8 Variants of laser welding (a contour, b mask, c quasisimultaneous, d simultaneous)

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

Line structure (SD 0.31) Cross structure (SD 0.53)

The SD is defined by the amount of structured surface compared to the overall surface of the examined area. The patterns are applied over a small area (205 mm). The widths of the structures are approximately 20 m and the depths are measured to be 30 m. The topography of a structure with a line pattern is shown in Fig. 9. 4.4 Joining experiments Three different plastics are used for the joining experiments: PC, polyoxymethylene (POM), and a special type of polyamide (PA PACM), together with the above-mentioned structured stainless-steel samples. Firstly, the joining process was realized by a handling system with a diode laser system at 70 W in contour mode. The feed rate was chosen as 400 mm/min for each structure to allow good comparability. Secondly, the joining process was realized by a galvanometer scanning system and a diode laser with 250 W in quasisimultaneous mode. For both joining processes, the samples are placed in overlap geometry, where the overlap area is about 1020 mm. The samples are clamped together with an especially designed clamping device, which enhances the flow of the melted plastic material into the structures of the steel. The length of the seam is 15 mm, while the beam

diameter for contour joining was 1.2 and 1.6 mm for quasisimultaneous joining. To compare the results for both irradiation strategies, approximately the same amount of energy per unit area was led into the material. Due to the scattering of the laser radiation at the highly crystalline structure of the POM, the irradiation time has to be extended compared to that for other materials, which enlarges the heataffected zones (HAZ). Therefore, the resulting irradiation time was 0.75 s for PC and PA PACM and 4.5 s for POM. Because of the larger laser spot size and the greater amount of heat conduction, the quasi-simultaneous HAZs are wider than the contour HAZs. 4.5 Results 4.5.1 Microscopy To analyze the influence of the irradiation, cross-sectional pictures were made. The joined samples were cut perpendicularly to the joining seam, embedded in resin, ground, and then polished. The boundary layers are shown in the following pictures. In the nonirradiated area (Fig. 10a), the boundary layer between the stainless steel (bright, bottom) and the polycarbonate (dark, top) is seen clearly. The plastic touches the top of the structure flash, but there is no joining. In the irradiated area (Fig. 10b), the plastic material is melted and

Fig. 9 3D microscopy of a structured stainless-steel sample with a line pattern

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930 Fig. 10 Cross section of the samples: a nonirradiated and b irradiated

929

has completely filled the pits in the structure under the clamping pressure. As a result, the desired mechanical interlock is realized by the undercut in the microstructure. 4.5.2 Shear-strength tests The results of shear-strength tests show that the shear strength of the joint increases with increasing structure density (SD). To compare the results with those for common joining techniques, an adhesive bond is used as a reference in Fig. 11. The joining area has the same size as the laser-irradiated area. Here, the shear-strength results of different polymers for the different structures are shown for both of the investigated processes. The best-fit straight line shows an overall behavior of the structured samples for all material combinations and irradiation strategies. For a nonstructured sample, no joining between the materials was possible for the investigated process. Low-density structures (dot pattern, 0.15 SD) can realize a connection with a low shear strength comparable to the adhesive bond. High-density structures (cross pattern, 0.53 SD) can make durable connections and allow industrial applications. The maximum shear strength measured for PA PACM at fracture is 26.6 N/mm, while the yield stress for the material itself is 60 N/mm. A PA PACM sample joined

with a stainless-steel sample structured with a line pattern is shown in Fig. 12(a). For PC, the maximum shear strength measured is 35.6 N/mm, while the yield stress for this material is 65 N/mm. Thus, in most experiments, nearly 50% of the shear strength of the bulk plastics is achieved and the usage of the mechanical-interlocking effect for industrial production in several applications is feasible. In Fig. 12b, a realized industrial application in the automotive industry (Witte Automotive, Velbert, Germany) is presented. The thermoplastic electronic connector (green) sits on a locker carrier to detect a closed car door. To assure the reliable function of the unit, the connector must be joined with the metallic carrier without any clearance and a minimum pull off force of 200 N has to be achieved.

40

shear strength [N/mm2]

30

20

10

QS PA PACM QS POM QS PC C PC adhesive joint (ref.)

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

structure density degree

Fig. 11 Shear strength versus structure density for different polymers and irradiation strategies

Fig. 12 a Joined sample; b application sample from the automotive industry

930

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2010) 47:923930

5 Summary and outlook The newly developed processes enable the joining of dissimilar materials such as plastics and metals as an alternative to the established technologies such as mold-in, gluing, or screwing. LIFTEC is based on a form-closed connection. The metal part is heated by laser irradiation and then pressed into the plastic component. As a result, a tight and strong connection can be achieved. The main process parameter is the temperature during the joining process. To achieve short heating times, the laser output power is modulated by software. As an example, the application of the joining of rimless spectacles with the frame is described. Dependent on the geometry of the metal part, different strengths can be achieved. By using a groove at the top of the part, the strength varies between 300 and 700 N, dependent on the penetration depth. In addition, the strength and the quality of the joint also depend on the optical transparency. While high temperatures lead to bubbling or discoloration, fractures can occur at low temperatures. The results of the transmission joining experiments show that for industrial applications overlap adhesive bonding is not the only and best solution for the hybrid joining of plastic and metal components. By using a microstructured metal sample, the mechanical interlock of the joint is established and appropriate shear strengths are achieved. Especially when small areas are to be joined, microstructuring with laser radiation as a surface pretreatment can deliver a better joint strength in combination with a following laser-joining process. This process is perfectly

suited to such applications, while avoiding the generally known disadvantages of adhesives. Of course, without any pretreatment, a joining process cannot be expected. Further investigations on structuring will cover the structuring of the metal samples with a systematically realized undercut, therefore realizing a shaped-form closure. Concerning other pretreatment methods, recent experiments with plasma pretreatment show an increase of the adhesion. In combination with structuring, the accomplished shear strengths should even be exceeded during the next steps of the experiments.
Acknowledgements The depicted research has been funded by the German Research Foundation DFG as part of the Cluster of Excellence Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries and the European Union within the MASMICRO project.

References
1. Ehrenstein GW (2004) Handbuch Kunststoff-Verbindungstechnik. Carl Hanser, Munich 2. Endemann U, Glaser S, Vlker M (2002) Kunststoff und Metall im festen Verbund. in Kunststoffe, vol 92. Carl Hanser, Munich, pp 110113 3. Kawahit Y, Tange A, Kubota S, Katayama S (2006) Development of direct laser joining for metal and plastic, Paper #604, ICALEO 2006 4. Atanasov PA (1995) Laser welding of plasticsthe theory and experiment. Optical Eng 34(10):29762980. doi:10.1117/ 12.210747 5. Russek UA (2006) Prozesstechnische Aspekte des Laserdurchstrahlschweiens von Thermoplasten. Dissertation RWTH Aachen University, Shaker Verlag Aachen