Plastics – laser welding brought to the point

This is what you get from Leister

Innovation is as much a tradition at Leister as practice proven, dependable tools. Therefore the step to weldingplastics with a laser beam was simply a logical progression, but it was also a technological breakthrough.

Nothing but advantages Total customer focus In our development laboratories, Leister scientists, engineers and technologists have developed a broad range of laser welding concepts, which have proven themselves in practice time and time again. We conduct research together with leading institutes. This lays the foundations for developing tailored solutions for almost every customer application. We are there to support you across the board: from the concept, through design and material selection, right up to process optimization and integration. Leister has been one of the world’s leading suppliers ofplastic welding equipment for many decades. A wealth of theoretical and practical knowledge of plastics pro-cessing is at our disposal. Leister revolutionized product assembly with the introduction of laser beam welding. As evidenced by being one of the very first companies to develop and manufacture laser systems for industrial plastic welding, every new development at Leister defines state-of-the-art possibilities. Bringing new techniques to maturity Today laser welding is a recognized joining technique for thermo- plastics. New applications are continually emerging while advantages over traditional joining techniques are brought to bear. Laser technology often provides solutions where conventional systems have failed or can be improved upon. Profit from our know-how and let us help develop your application.
• Non-contact, flexible joining technique
• Minimal thermal stress on the welded parts
• Simple joining seam geometry
• No particulate development
• Vibration-free processing
• Optically perfect welding seam
• High precision
• High strength
• Gas-tight, hermetic seals
• No tool wear
• No consumables (adhesive, fasteners, etc.) Advice:
• Selection of the most suitable laser concept Suitable materials
• Material selection assistance and weldability tests Nearly all thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers can be welded with laser radiation – e.g. ABS, PA, PC, PP, PMMA, PS, PBT – even those reinforced with glass fibers. The welding seam strength is comparable with that of the base material.The laser process requires a laser transmissive plastic to be bonded to a laser industrial absorbent plastic, typically containing carbon black. Special pigments also allow welding of dark/dark and transparent/transparent combinations, as well as of colored plastics.
• Engineering and recommendation of suitable joining geometriesDevelopment of processes and techniques:
• Definition of the process window for all relevant parameters
• Component testing and assessment of welding quality
• Integration of the process into the production environmentPrototypes and small series production:
• Manufacture of prototypes
• Pre-series and scale-up production
• Job shop service through Leister and its partner companies
Laser systems from Leister are used in a wide range of industries. Micro technology: Textiles: Continuous and fast joining industrial plastic films and industrial fabrics Electronics: Vibration-free bonding without mechanical stress Automotive: High reproducibility and process reliability in all dimensions Medical: Clean and emission-free welding Precise and localized application of energy 5