Vitesco Technologies increases sustainability in manufacturing with new laser welding technology

Vitesco Technologies uses state-of-the-art green lasers from TRUMPF for energy-saving welding of copper
Due to electrification in the drive, copper welding is currently a key manufacturing process

Green laser systems are energy-efficient and also reduce manufacturing effort
Copper welding with green lasers is already being used in a current electronics series project for the BMW group

Regensburg, July 4, 2022. Vitesco Technologies, a leading international manufacturer of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, is using innovative laser systems from its long-standing production engineering partner TRUMPF. With the introduction of the new green laser equipment for copper welded joints, Vitesco Technologies is among the pioneers in the serial use of this new solution. Compared with infrared laser systems – the standard in copper welding to date – the use of green lasers can reduce energy consumption by up to 20 percent, depending on the application, and thus the CO2 footprint per laser welded joint. At the same time, production becomes more sustainable by the fact that green laser systems cause virtually no copper spatter during welding, which otherwise means more effort during production.

Laser specialist TRUMPF has for the first time developed a green laser system of this type for industrial production, which operates in the visible light spectrum with a wavelength of 515 nm. Compared to the infrared laser welding technology with a wavelength of around 1030 nm used to date, the welding process with the green laser is more energy- efficient and controlled.

For the first time, the green laser is being used at Vitesco Technologies for the current production of sophisticated battery management electronics for the BMW Group. Already here, the energy consumption for the welding assembly could be reduced by 4 percent only by substituting the beam source.

“Our sustainable manufacturing with smaller CO2 footprint and very stable processes is a competitive advantage. Because for vehicle manufacturers, sustainability with the highest quality is strategically