Laser Welding and Process Monitoring Applications for Advanced Manufacturing of Batteries and Fuel Cells

Recently, battery-based hybridization of gasoline and diesel engines has become a rapidly expanding global market. A lot of research and development activities have been focused on both advanced batteries and fuel cells to achieve their efficient mass production capabilities and drive this technology into successful commercialization. A variety of joining processes are required for the assembly of cells and modules. This paper focuses on the laser welding applications for similar and dissimilar materials. Materials that have been investigated are Cu, Al, and stainless steel. The goal is to define the key laser processing parameters based on characterization of the joints by means of mechanical failure tests and bond area analysis. This study also includes a camera-based process monitoring technique to monitor the behavior of the keyhole and the melt pool during the welding process. An example of sealing Al cans used as battery housings illustrates the successful application of laser technology.