Rofin delivers 5,000th CO2 slab laser

Rofin has supplied a DC 050 slab laser to Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart-Hedelfingen, Germany, the 5,000th CO2 slab laser Rofin has ever delivered.

This Mercedes-Benz factory produces a range of engine and power-transmission components, including motors, gears and axles.

It currently has 18 Rofin CO2 slab laser systems.

The new 5kW DC 050 laser will be used in an existing two-station welding machine, built by the German company Arnold, to weld planet carrier components.

This laser processing system, originally built in 1997, was moved to the works in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen in 2001, since when it has been welding planet carriers for the wheel components used in the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox.

After almost 10 years of trouble-free operation, the decision was made to upgrade the laser-beam source.

The DC 050 provides exceptional beam quality of K >= 0.9.

DC lasers are ideal for the deep welding required in gear manufacturing and allow processing with minimal heat input, ensuring little or no distortion of the workpiece.

Using the 7G-Tronic gearbox component produced on this machine, the company's engineers have also found a method of increasing traction and at the same time reducing the additional fuel consumption when using all wheel drive, from the typical 1.0 litre to 0.4 litres per 100km travelled.

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