Production machine takes the pressure out of welding

Bowburn based Altec Engineering's latest machine has the capability to produce a range of sensor variants using quick-change tooling. The sensor component parts are manufactured from Polyamide material and the application requires the welding of a clear cover to a coloured base of the same material to create a hermetically sealed joint. Welding is achieved using a Dilas 200 W average power diode laser with a 200 micron fibre-optic. This in turn delivers the laser beam to a galvo scanning head, which allows quasi-simultaneous welding, ensuring the whole weld seam reaches the melting temperature and collapses uniformly. Consistent clamping pressure is essential to produce consistent and reliable welding and in this instance this is achieved using a pneumatically operated system which incorporates force and distance monitoring. The machine concept was developed by Altec and a Class 1 enclosure ensures operator safety. Overall machine control, and set up for different part variants, is achieved via an intuitive menu driven system displayed to the operator on an HMI. Altec Engineering took turnkey responsibility for this project, drawing upon the comprehensive skill base which the company retains in-house including: machine, control and software design, machine building and development and project management. In the 36 years since the company was founded, Altec has grown to become a highly successful and dynamic company offering a comprehensive range of services including mechanical & electrical engineering, CNC precision machining and special purpose machine design and build. The company operates within the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and space-science, medical science and nuclear and renewables sectors.