Back in 1997, Michael Francoeur, founder of Joining Technologies LLC (JT), East Granby, Conn., wanted to reinvent his business to gain a larger share of the precision-welded miniature and micro-welded medical, sensor, and aerospace parts market. He decided that growth would come through the use of both electron and laser beam technologies.

To achieve that goal, the company purchased its first laser from Trumpf Inc., Farmington, Conn, and began a relationship that would drive the shop to the competitive edge and keep it there. The relationship with Trumpf, according to Franceour, grows stronger as time passes. "But it took on an added dimension in 2001 when I felt a strong need to align myself with one of the world's best laser OEMs to take on a high-production cell-phone welding project for Motorola."

In 2003, Francoeur says another dimension was added. JT purchased its first programmable focusing optic (PFO) workstation to address the need for the high-speed welding of disposable medical devices.

At PFO workstations, precision, high-speed, remote welding is performed with galvanometer scanners, a technology that uses a pair of mirrors to rapidly route the laser beam directly to the machining point, eliminating the need to position and reposition the workpiece or welding head. For JT, that meant a dramatic productivity gain and a new contract.

About a year-and-a-half ago, JT and its Trumpf laserbeam scanning technology attracted the interest of engineers attending a metals-joining seminar run by JT and the American Welding Society. "The engineers were looking for a way to increase production and to reduce costs," says Steve Roy, JT's director of business development.

Their company needed to have 250 separate spot welds made on a 2.5-in.-long stainless steel part used in medical equipment. Under conventional fixed-laser-beam technology, such parts are repeatedly repositioned, so welding takes over 1 min/part. With PFO and Trumpf's scanning heads, JT could make the welds in 6 sec. That is the equivalent of 3,000 parts/day, and it could ramp up to 5,000 parts/day. "The customer was thrilled," says Roy.

With JT, the customer went from using 5 separate lasers and conventional fixed welding workstations to two PFO workstations and three operators, adds Francoeur.

In addition, PFO technology added accuracy. "Because the scanner can move the laser 2,000 in./min, weld accuracy is within 20µ," says Roy. Scrap was reduced from 10% to almost negligible, and cycle time was reduced 15%.

In addition, "the power stability of Trumpf lasers is incredibly accurate. When welding specialized medical parts, it's extremely important that all the pulses are the same," he continues.

"Today, we are one of Trumpf's adopted high-performance end-users in that we are creative when it comes to using their tools," says Francoeur. "You might say we race Trumpf's high-performance cars." Francoeur says he sees only good things evolving from the partnership.

JT is adding 10,000 sq ft to its 12,000 sq ft facility to accommodate its entry into the aerospace overhaul and repair market. By 2006, the company expects to have a metal deposition machine that uses Trumpf pulse laser technology.

Trumpf Inc.
Farmington, Conn.
us.trumpf.com