Joining of Metal-Plastics-Hybrid Structures Using Laser Radiation by Considering the Surface Structure of the Metal

Lightweight construction is a central technology in today’s industrial production. One way to achieve the climate goals is the production of hybrid compounds of metal and plastic. The manufacturing process for these hybrid parts can be divided into in-mold assembly and postmold assembly. The postmold assembly includes thermal joining by laser, which is applied in the context of this paper. For the investigations, four plastics (MABS, PA6.6-GF35, PP, and PC), which differ in their properties, and three metals (unalloyed steel, stainless steel, and aluminum) are combined and analyzed. These materials have been used, since they have a huge significance in the automotive industry. Preliminary studies showed that an adhesive bond between the two materials is achieved using metal with a structured surface. According to these studies, three structuring processes for metals (selective laser melting (SLM), NRX, and a welded metallic tissue) are tested. The quality of the material/structure combinations is tested in tensile-shear-tests, microscopy images, and alternating climate tests. Compounds with SLM-Structure achieve highest strength, while compounds with aluminum are much more complex to manufacture