Description

Laser transmission welding (LTW) is a well-established technique for joining high-volume thermoplastic parts, such as automotive injection molded parts. For low-volume, prototype, and custom production, additive manufacturing is an emerging technology for producing complex thermoplastic parts. When compared to injection molding, the additive manufacturing process fused filament fabrication (FFF) results in an inhomogeneous structure with entrapped air within the volume. Additionally, the presence of short glass fibers in the polymer matrix leads to higher radiation scattering during the welding process. This paper presents a fundamental study of the weldability of additively manufactured fiber-reinforced parts. The specimens were fabricated using a FFF process with glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (GF-PP). The study investigates the influence of layer thickness and line width of the FFF process on the optical transmittance. LTW-experiments were conducted using additively manufactured uncolored and black GF-PP samples. Lap shear test specimens were welded with a different energy per unit length. This research presents a process for welding additively manufactured GF-PP parts that can be used with optimized FFF-parameters to produce high-strength and durable prototypes or spare parts for the automotive industry. This research provides valuable insights into the process parameters and considerations required to achieve robust welds in additively manufactured thermoplastic parts, facilitating broader adoption of LTW in additive manufacturing contexts.

Contributing Authors

  • Julian Kuklik
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
  • Matthias Henzler
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
  • Richard Staehr
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
  • Peter Jaeschke
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
  • Stefan Kaierle
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. | Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Transport and Automation Technology
  • Ludger Overmeyer
    Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. | Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Transport and Automation Technology | Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover
Julian Kuklik
Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
Track: Laser Materials Macroprocessing
Session: Laser Welding Processes I
Day of Week: Monday
Date/Time:
Location: Solano

Keywords

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Fused Filament Fabrication
  • Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene
  • Laser Transmission Welding