Laser Surface Preparation For Adhesive Bonding

Improve The Bond Strength

Laser surface preparation improves bonding in multiple ways:

• It removes all contaminants at once so that they do not interfere with the bonding process.
• It creates a precise surface texture with a pattern and roughness optimized for each bonding application (i.e., for each type of surface and adhesive).
• It modifies the chemical composition of the surface by introducing beneficial oxides that increase the surface free energy. These oxides create more bonding sites for a stronger bond.

Scale Up Production

Laser machines can be configured to meet demanding production requirements, such as high production volumes or short cycle times.

• As a non-contact process requiring no consumables, laser surface preparation is easy to automate and generates minimal maintenance, making it easier to keep the production line running without interruption.
• When configured to texture before bonding, our single-mode pulsed fiber lasers come with up to 2,000W of laser power. This high power makes it possible to increase the speed of the laser process as needed.
• Our laser experts optimize the optical configuration for each bonding application based on the substrate and the adhesive, making sure it is as fast as possible.

Achieve High Repeatability

Unlike methods like grit blasting or chemical etching, laser technology makes it easy to control quality for the bonding process.

• No masking is needed due to the laser’s high precision. This eliminates manual errors that can occur during the masking process.
• Dust contaminants that originate from the laser texturing process are much easier to manage than those from grit blasting. This ensures that dust does not recontaminate your parts.
• Because it operates using a non-contact process, the laser texturing machine does not degrade due to mechanical wear. This prevents imprecisions caused by damaged components.

Minimize The Variety Of Adhesives

Laser surface preparation helps reduce the number of adhesives used on a part. While each type of surface may require a specific adhesive, the improved bond strength provided by laser texturing makes it possible to use the same adhesive for multiple types of surfaces. This reduces the number of consumables to manage and the number of adhesive dispensers on the shop floor.

Implement A Sustainable Technology

Fiber laser technology reduces the environmental impact and resource consumption of adhesive bonding operations, enabling greener and more efficient manufacturing processes.

• High-energy efficiency that lowers power consumption
• Compact design that helps reduce the size of production lines
• No consumables or chemicals during laser surface treatments
• Durable laser source with a long operating life (+10 years)