Laser-assisted sheet metal working of high strength steels in serial production

Within the sheet metal working industry the demand for thinner sheet materials with very high strength is growing due to the increasing need to save energy and a responsible use of natural resources. The high strength and the low ductility restricts using state of art technology to sheer, bend, emboss or deep draw parts with the needed complexity and quality. The Fraunhofer IPT developed a combination of laser-assisted preheating and conventional punching to a new hybrid technology which allows to shear, bend, emboss and draw high strength materials with a high quality and complexity in a serial production.