Metal to Plastic Joining

Different materials such as metal and plastic can be joined and permanently connected by laser. This innovative joining process is particularly interesting in the automotive industry.

With the aim of generating lighter components that are also cheaper than full metal parts, lasers are used to bond fiber-reinforced polymers such as TP-FRPC and metals. In research projects, e.g. B. the FlexHyJoin project: Flexible Production Cell for Hybrid Joining, laser optics from Leister are used to join different materials in a weight-neutral manner and without the use of potentially harmful solvents. The hybrid components developed in this way can be installed in vehicles as lightweight components. This results, among other things, in reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Horizon 2020

FlexHyJoin is a sub-project of the largest EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020. As part of this project, the Institute of Composite Materials (IVW), together with other partners who, like Leister, are part of the FlexHyJoin project consortium, has developed a solution for joining TP-FRPC with metal in the future.

Since there has been no solution to meet the demand for weight-reduced, low-cost and extremely durable components, this project has since developed a roof reinforcement element for cars made of composite metal. In cooperation with other partners of the FlexHyJoin consortium, the CO2 emission targets of the car manufacturers can be met in the future.