Application-Specific Laser Welding for the Automotive Industry
Laser beam welding is just one of the tools in our toolbox—but is often the key to producing a given component at volume and on budget, because it enables a great deal of design flexibility.
This is a high-accuracy welding process that allows for narrow, deep welds and supports high-volume production. It’s versatile, capable of working a variety of metals (including carbon steels, low-alloy steels, stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium) with high weld quality.
In recent years, laser welding has proven especially important in automotive applications. A gear or shaft that cannot be made solely with hobbing and grinding (due to the proximity of its features) can be machined in pieces that are then joined via laser welding prior to finishing.
Design for Manufacturability: Laser Welding Vehicle Components
Systrand has 40+ years of experience in precision machining for the automotive industry. We’ve developed a reputation for reliably delivering high-volume, high-precision gears—and for helping our customers find better solutions to design challenges.
We are especially sensitive to the increased importance of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels and their impact on vehicle performance. For the last ten years, we’ve lived and breathed the NVH standards and requirements. We were among the first U.S. manufacturers to supply high-precision gears and components for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Today, we have millions of these components in the field. More importantly, we have the tools and processes in place to ensure that our components perform to ever higher standards. Those processes include an advanced 100% noise signature analysis on all NVH critical components, capable of isolating ghost order noise and other extremely subtle sources of unwanted vibration.
Our Commitment to Quality
“Quality” isn’t just something for the Quality Department to worry about. It’s a commitment threaded through every office and workstation. At Systrand, we are a tier 1 supplier with IATF 16949 and ISO 14001 certifications. Our quality systems, processes, and entire organization are committed to ensuring quality for our customers.
Over four decades, we’ve invested and reinvested in the tools and talent that are vital to our customers’ success. That includes a world class operating system of monitored performance and a structured approach to problem solving proven to ensure reliable manufacturing.
These are metrics/results driven systems, built on Lean Manufacturing principles and Six Sigma methodology, and take into account activity-based costing and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) while maintaining low- to zero PPM. Those systems form a foundation from which we can pursue continuous improvements and cost savings for our customers.