Ensuring the precision and repeatability of component assembly in the production of electric vehicle (EV) battery modules requires fast and accurate measuring methods. The durability of EV battery packs depends on the quality of welded connections, therefore exact positioning of the module components is critical for ensuring safety in exploitation. Laser welding is a non-contact process capable of welding dissimilar materials with high precision, for that reason it has become the preferred joining method in battery production. In high volume manufacturing, one of the main production challenges is reducing the time required for assessment of dimensional and geometrical accuracy prior to joining. This paper reviews the challenges of EV battery design and manufacturing and discusses commercially available scanner-based measurement systems suitable for fabrication of battery pack components. Versatility of novel metrological systems creates new opportunities for increasing the production speed, quality and safety of EV battery modules.

The high power fiber laser has become one of the most efficient energy sources for deep penetration welding processes used in heavy manufacturing and marine industries. Combinations of cost-efficient, easily automatable process together with fairly mobile and flexible welding equipment have raised high expectations for improved quality and economic feasibility. In this study, the fillet welding of a low alloyed structural steel was studied using a 10 kW fiber laser. Plates of 8 mm thick AH36 were welded as a T-joint configuration in flat (1F) and horizontal (2F) positions using either an autogenous laser welding or a hybrid laser arc welding process. The effect of heat input on the weld bead geometry was investigated using one variable at a time approach. The impact of single process parameter such as laser power of 4.5–6 kW, welding speed of 0.5–2.5 m/min, beam inclination angle of 6°–15°, focal point position of −2 to +2 mm, and welding positions of 1F and 2F were studied. All welds were visually evaluated for weld imperfections described in EN ISO 13919-1 standard. Penetration depth, geometries of the fusion and heat affected zones, and hardness profiles were measured. Produced joints have a high depth to width ratio and a small heat affected zone; full penetration welds with acceptable weld quality on both sides of the joint were produced. The parameter configurations for optimizing the welding processes are proposed.

Laser welding of thick plates in production environments is one of the main applications of high power lasers; however, the process has certain limitations. The small spot size of the focused beam produces welds with high depth-to-width aspect ratio but at times fails to provide sufficient reinforcement in certain applications because of poor gap bridging ability. The results of welding shipbuilding steel AH36 with thickness of 8 mm as a single-sided T-joint using a 10 kW fiber laser are presented and discussed in this research paper. Three optical setups with process fibers of 200 µm, 300 µm and 600 µm core diameters were used to study the possibilities and limitations set by the beam delivery system. The main parameters studied were beam inclination angle, beam offset from the joint plane and focal point position. Full penetration joints were produced and the geometry of the welds was examined. It was found that process fibers with smaller core diameter produce deeper penetration but suffer from sensitivity to beam positioning deviation. Larger fibers are less sensitive and produce wider welds but have, in turn, lower penetration at equivalent power levels.

In this paper, a study of laser-arc hybrid welding featuring three different process fibres was conducted to build knowledge about process behaviour and discuss potential benefits for improving the weld properties. The welding parameters affect the weld geometry considerably, as an example the increase in welding speed usually decreases the penetration and a larger beam diameter usually widens the weld. The laser hybrid welding system equipped with process fibres with 200, 300 and 600μm core diameter were used to produce fillet welds. Shipbuilding steel AH36 plates with 8mm thickness were welded with Hybrid-Laser-Arc-Welding (HLAW) in inversed T configuration, the effects of the filler wire feed rate and the beam positioning distance from the joint plane were investigated. Based on the metallographic cross-sections, the effect of process parameters on the joint geometry was studied. Joints with optimized properties (full penetration, soundness, smooth transition from bead to base material) were produced with 200μm and 600μm process fibres, while fiber with 300μm core diameter produced welds with unacceptable levels of porosity