Comparison Between Copper-Aluminium Laser Joining using Short Pulses and Continuous Wave Mode

Abstract:
Copper-aluminium bonds are often encountered in the battery and power electronics sectors due to their good thermal and electrical conductivity. The joining process however still poses a challenge. High-brilliance fiber lasers emitting in the infrared range are well-suited tools for such a process. These are usually employed in continuous wave (cw) mode. Recent findings prove, contrary to the convention, that a nanosecond (ns) pulsed fiber laser can be used for welding applications as well. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the welding process with a ns laser and compare the results to those achieved with a cw laser.