IPG Photonics Collaborates with Brose on Weld Inspection

IPG Photonics and the Brose Group, a supplier of automotive components, has announced a collaboration for what the companies say is the first direct weld inspection technology for automotive seat rails.

The technology, which uses inline coherent imaging (ICI), has been piloted in Brose’s London, Ontario, facility. The technology promises to increase manufacturing efficiency by streamlining validation of welds and minimizing waste, according to a Brose press release.

ICI is a technique favored for inspecting welds, due to its abilities to be integrated directly into the production line and to evaluate welds in real time. An advantage of the technique is that it can track seam quality as well as determine weld depth, which is a key indicator of quality.

Brose intends to invest more than $6 million by 2022 to develop the technology. Brose and IPG Photonics will study and analyze ICI-generated performance data, including penetration measurements, surface irregularities, seam tracking, and the technical availability of the equipment. The project aims to help inform further efficiencies and refinement of the technology, and by extension improve consumer safety and quality of products.