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Thanks to synchrotron radiation, welding processes can be observed in greater detail than ever before – live and in real time! Researchers from Fraunhofer ILT and RWTH Aachen University – Chair for Laser Technology University are working at DESY to make vapor capillaries, melt movements and defects visible. Their findings optimize battery and microelectronics production and pave the way for the development of new materials.
How Fraunhofer ILT is transforming industrial processes with synchrotron radiation
Led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT and the RWTH Aachen University – Chair of Laser Technology, the interdisciplinary team "Laser Meets Synchrotron" at the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg is researching fundamental scientific questions that give rise to industrial innovations. In addition to these partners, the consortium includes the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the University of Stuttgart, the Technische Universität Ilmenau, and the Vienna University of Technology.
Project Manager Christoph Spurk from RWTH Aachen University is coordinating the transportation and set-up of systems, lasers, and optical components and distributing the tasks to the research team of physicists, IT specialists, materials scientists and mechanical engineers. They rotate in three shifts 24/7 and carry out a total of 700 different experiments in seven days. Their experiments penetrate deep into industrial laser processes such as welding, drilling and cutting, and help them better understand material properties and behavior, and ultimately optimize processes. "With synchrotron radiation, we can visualize realistic laser processes in real time at DESY, observe vapor capillaries, melt movements or the formation of pores," explains Spurk.
Precision in real time: optimized laser processes for industry and research
The research results show that stress cracks can be significantly reduced by selectively adjusting the laser settings, porosity can be minimized and electrical conductivity increased. Vapor capillaries and melt movements, which often cause defects, have been visualized in high resolution for the first time, enabling the team to optimize welding processes for high-power batteries.
Since it has such outstanding brilliance and intensity, synchrotron radiation not only enables users to investigate at a resolution in the micro and even nanometer range, but also provides insights into the finest material structures and dynamic processes. Optical systems focus the laser radiation specifically on the materials; high-speed cameras, which achieve frame rates of up to 50,000 frames per second, are used for visualization. Spurk and his team are already working on a system that should reach 200,000 Hz in the near future. To visualize the phase contrast, the team uses scintillators that convert X-rays into visible light. If the contrast is still too low, the researchers add tungsten or tungsten carbide particles to the material. The particles can be seen as black dots in the images and provide information about the melting movement.
Many sectors – automotive, aviation, hydrogen technology or microelectronics – need to weld copper or aluminum joints, as well as metal and plastic ones, and to do so flawlessly. Only real-time visualization makes it possible to identify the smallest material defects, defects that would not be visible using conventional methods.
Innovative material compounds: New perspectives for electromobility, aviation and microelectronics
"The investigation of complex material combinations such as copper-aluminum joints is extremely important for electromobility, where they are used in high-performance batteries and other critical components," explains Dr. Alexander Olowinsky, head of the Joining and Cutting Department at Fraunhofer ILT. "Thanks to the data obtained at DESY, such joints can be manufactured with greater strength and reliability. For lightweight construction, we are also investigating other structuring processes and the results flow directly into the development of new technologies."
Synchrotron radiation makes it possible to detect stress cracks and unwanted structures in aluminum-titanium joints, in the aviation industry at an early stage and to optimize the manufacturing processes. In addition, laser powder welding of nickel-based superalloys, e.g. for turbine blades, improved with high-speed imaging. High-precision joining processes are essential in microelectronics. By analyzing melt movements in ultra-thin copper tracks, users can avoid short circuits and material fatigue, both of which are particularly important for the production of semiconductors and printed circuit boards.
From big data to smart data: precise analyses for industrial innovations
The expertise of the "Laser Meets Synchrotron" partners plays a key role in the use of this technology. The data obtained requires specialized analyses that are only possible with in-depth know-how and dedicated software; the research team returns to the institutes with up to 50 terabytes of data.
"Our strength lies not only in conducting these experiments, but above all in understanding and interpreting the results, processing the complex data and making it usable," explains Christoph Spurk. "We turn big data into smart data." This is possible because the team has an interdisciplinary focus; only in this way can the data obtained at the synchrotron be put into practice.
The economic benefits for customers and partners go far beyond process optimization: The data and insights gained form the basis for completely new business models, for instance in the area of data-driven material development. For example, companies can use the precise analysis results to develop customized materials for specific applications, giving them a decisive competitive advantage. Companies such as Audi, Bosch Research and Denso have been able to make their production processes more efficient and shorten development cycles thanks to the cooperation.
Christoph Spurk M. Sc.
Fundamentals of melting processes
Telephone +49 241 8906-227
christoph.spurk@llt.rwth-aachen.de
RWTH Aachen University – Chair of Laser Technology
Dr. Alexander Olowinsky
Head of Department Joining and Cutting
Telephone +49 241 8906-491
alexander.olowinsky@ilt.fraunhofer.de
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
Steinbachstraße 15
52074 Aachen, Germany
www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
http://www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/en
“Laser Meets Synchrotron” team at the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg.
© RWTH Aachen University – Chair for Laser Technology.
Experimental setup for performing phase contrast videography on beamline P61A at DESY Petra III.
© RWTH Aachen University – Chair for Laser Technology.
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