In a new project, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) and the Flexxibl GmbH (Brunswick) are developing a manufacturing process and the appropriate system to join tubes made of steel and a copper alloy in a highly automated way. Within this scope, the scientists of the Joining and Cutting of Metals Group at the LZH want to develop an energy-reduced laser beam welding process. For this purpose, they are designing, among other things, a steel adapter piece that is supposed to be welded to a steel corrugated tube on one side, and to a copper tube on the other side.

The final system shall replace the existing process and automate as many process steps as possible. By means of an appropriate sensor system, the welded tube segments shall be checked for leaks already before they are withdrawn. These types of tube joints are, for example, interesting to the thermal solar and district heating sectors.

The project LaMiRo – Laserstrahlschweißen von Mischverbindungen für Rohrverbindungen – is supported by the NBank through the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) and through the State of Lower Saxony’s “Programmgebiet Stärker entwickelte Region” (SER) within the scope of the Lower Saxony Innovation Program for Research and Development in enterprises (reference number ZW 3-85026289). The LZH and  Flexxibl GmbH, Braunschweig, participate both in this project.