2000

Mask welding developed byLeister was granted the «Swiss Technology Award» 2000. GLOBO welding developed by Leister was granted the «Swiss Technology Award» 2004. Mask welding Globo welding With this Leister patented technique amask is inserted between the laser sourceand the parts to be welded. A curtain or collimated laser beam is moved across the entire joining area of the parts. The laserbeam is only incident on the componentswhere they are not obscured by the mask. The mask makes it possible to projectextremely fine structures in the order ofmicrometers. Mask welding therefore achieves a very high resolution. The most diverse welding seam structures can be producedwith mask welding – for example straightand curved weld lines of different width, as well as two-dimensional structures – all in asingle operational step. Globo welding works along the lines of con-tour welding. A laser beam is focused at apoint on the joining plane via an air bearing, frictionless, freely rotating glass sphere. The glass sphere not only focuses – it also ser-ves as a mechanical clamping tool. Whilethe sphere rolls on the component, it applies continuous pressure at a point onthe joining plane. This ensures that the laserbeam is only incident at the point at which the contact pressure is also applied. The glass sphere replaces the mechanical clam-ping device and expands the scope of laserwelding for both continuous and three- dimensional applications.

2004

Characteristics and application: Characteristics and application:
• Line-shaped laser beam
• Arbitrary joining geometries in two andthree dimensions
• Any desired joining geometry within aplane
• Welding without a clamping device
• Fast and flexible
• Optimal synchronization of clamping pres- sure and energy application
• Very fine 2D joining structures
• Suitable for micro and macro applications
• Suitable for robotic applications
7