3D Polymer Weld Seam Characterization Based on Optical Coherence Tomography for Laser Transmission Welding Applications

Abstract Laser transmission welding is an established single-stage plastic joining process, which enables hermetically sealed joints under the workpiece surface. The process requires joining partners with proper degrees of transmission and absorption to the processing wavelength. For reaching a stable process an in-process quality assurance is very valuable. Current monitoring systems have a limited usage, as no quantitative information of the weld itself is obtained without its destruction. In medical and pharmaceutical applications a weld with leakage is e.g. unacceptable. The main objective of this paper is the presentation of the optical coherence tomography as a tool for the quality assurance in laser transmission welding. This approach enables the measurement of any residual gap, weld geometry, internal pores and leaks. The presented results show that this technique allows even the characterization of welds using joining partners with thicknesses of 2 mm or with glass fiber reinforcement levels of 30% per weight.