JULY 15, 2008--Automation Engineering Incorporated (AEi; Wilmington, MA, USA; www.aeiboston.com), a supplier of high-precision flexible automation systems, is delivering multiple FlexLase laser welding stations to a producer of next-generation battery cells for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. AEi's FlexLase laser welding station integrates machine vision and machine-control software, enabling end users to quickly define and implement automated manufacturing functions for products in both R&D and production operations. This represents a significant time savings over traditional sequential product design and product manufacturing process development.
Says AEi chief technology officer Andre By, "FlexLase laser welding automation systems demonstrate our philosophy of supporting R&D and product process development on the same flexible automation equipment deployed for production. This provides our customers with the ability to develop and validate new welding processes at the R&D level and then rapidly implement the same processes for new products and packaging production ramp-up--whether the production equipment is across a plant or across the world. The result is a significant reduction in time-to-market costs for product introduction and production ramp up, giving our customers an advantage over their competition especially in emerging and expanding technology markets," concluded By.
AEi's FlexLase laser welding station is a standard flexible automation platform that is operator configurable to perform a variety of vision-guided laser welding functions without the need for traditional programming. The FlexLase stations to be deployed for this application will use the IPG Photonics fiber laser sources that produce a combination of excellent beam quality, high power efficiency, superior acquisition, and life cycle costs.
