Product Code: ICAL08_1801

Laser Beam Welding of Aircraft Fuselage Structures
Authors:
Berndt Brenner, Fraunhofer Iws; Dresden Germany
Jens Standfuss, Fraunhofer Iws; Dresden Germany
Dirk Dittrich, Fraunhofer Iws; Dresden Germany
Bernd Winderlich, Fraunhofer Iws; Dresden Germany
Jens Liebscher, Fraunhofer Iws; Dresden Germany
Jens Hackius, Airbus Deutschland Gmbh; Bremen Germany
Presented at ICALEO 2008

Laser beam welding of stiffener elements with the skin is one of the key technologies to improve concurrently both the production efficiency and lowering weight of metallic fuselages for current and future aircrafts.
As a pioneer of this technology, Airbus introduced laser welded lower fuselage panels into passenger aircrafts in its current models A318, A340-600 HGW and A380. Now the efforts are concentrated to find additional possibilities for further steps in improvement both technology and mechanical properties and decreasing production costs. The paper will give an overview about: improvement of weldability of Al-alloys, new laser welding adapted stiffener designs, strategies for improvement of damage tolerance behavior both for stringer-skin and for skin-skin-joints, a new flexible laser welding machine for the simultaneous both side welding of 3D-components up to a size of 10 m x 3.5 m x 1.5 m.