Laser welding of copper and aluminium alloys for electrical interconnects

De Bono, Paola (2016). Laser welding of copper and aluminium alloys for electrical interconnects. University of Birmingham. Eng.D.

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Abstract

The adoption of lithium-ion and/or super-capacitor battery technologies is a current hot topic in the automotive industry. For both battery types, the terminals and busbars are manufactured from copper (Cu) and/or aluminium-based (Al-based) alloys, as a result of their high electrical and thermal conductivities. Laser welding is considered an attractive process to industry due to its easy auto-motability, high processing speed and highly repeatable cost-effective processing. However, laser welding of monometallic and dissimilar Cu and A1 presents several difficulties due to the high surface reflectivity at infrared (IR.) wavelengths. Three main areas were investigated in this research work:
• Laser beam lap-welding of monometallic Cu sheets, with the aim of validating the developed welding procedures against target specifications addressed by the automotive industry, in line with production environment setups.
• The suitability of using tailored energy distributions, produced using a 1070nm laser source delivered through a laser beam scanner, for welding multiple overlapping Al or Cu foils.
• The effects of different laser processing parameters on the formation of deleterious brittle intermetallic phases when welding Alto Cu with a continuous-wave Yb-fibre laser.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Eng.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Eng.D.

Supervisor(s):