Laser Assisted Joining of Hybrid Polyamide-aluminum Structures

The demand for hybrid polymer-metal structures is continuously growing due to their great potential in automotive, aerospace and packaging applications. The expected capabilities are highly diverse and include functional, chemical and mechanical as well as economical and ecological aspects. A novel laser beam joining process for hybrid polyamide-aluminum structures is reported. The spatial and temporal heat input is optimized for optimal bonding quality. At the interface it was proven that the polyamide was not decomposed as a result of excessive thermal stress. It was shown that laser or electro-chemical surface pre-treatment of the aluminum substrate has a distinctive effect on the shear strength of the joint. However, the bond quality does not correspond to a change of surface roughness. Therefore, mechanical interlocking in direct relation to surface topology of the pre-treated substrate is not the principal cause for the bonding phenomenon. Chemical analysis in terms of IR-spectroscopy has shown a physicochemical interaction based on hydrogen bonds.