New laser welding system from Emerson automates the assembly of small plastic parts with complex geometries

The Branson™ GLX-1 Laser Welding Machine from Emerson revolutionizes the assembly of small plastic parts with complex designs. This automation solution ensures clean, vibration-free welding to support circular product recycling.

Emerson has introduced the new Branson™ GLX-1 laser welding machine, which offers users the flexibility needed to meet the increasing demand for small, complex, and delicate components and assemblies. Due to its small footprint and modular design, the device is suitable for cleanrooms according to ISO-8 standards. An integrated automation control unit simplifies installation and communicates with manufacturing robots.

The precise, servo-based control of the GLX-1 welding machine allows greater freedom in designing and joining components with three-dimensional contours. This is especially useful for applications involving small parts for the medical market, such as catheters and wearables with microfluidic components, as well as sensors for the electronics, automotive, and household appliance markets. The new welding machine can join high-performance and mixed polymers, as well as components with critical or complex 3D seam geometries and pre-assembled parts, without the risk of damage from heat or vibrations. The weld seams are created without flash or part marking, resulting in parts with an aesthetic appearance.

To support the growing interest from device manufacturers in circular product recycling, the GLX-1 can also safely and non-destructively separate weld connections of conventional medical devices and wearables. This disassembly enables the recovery and reuse of valuable internal components, supports sustainability initiatives, and reduces waste.

“We are seeing increasing demand in several key markets for smaller and highly delicate plastic parts of high quality, often housing sensitive electronic components,” said Emma Wood, Head of Global Product Management for Non-Ultrasonics at Emerson. “The GLX-1 laser welding system enables the production of solid, clean joints and provides advanced connectivity features in an extremely compact package, empowering manufacturing companies to develop and produce the highest quality products efficiently.”

The GLX-1 welding machine uses the Through-Transmission Infrared® (STTlr) process. This laser welding technology offers unmatched production efficiency, weld seam strength, and aesthetics, superior to other plastic welding methods. The GLX-1 is powered by high-performance laser modules configured to deliver adjustable power levels up to a maximum of 250 watts per module.

An advanced servo drive ensures precise, repeatable clamping force control via a closed-loop system for low to high force. Pneumatic control via a closed-loop system is also possible. This results in short welding cycles that support high-volume, high-quality production across a range of applications. Thanks to the RFID-based operation frequency detection feature, tool changes are efficient and precise, as welding programs are recognized and assigned to the correct production tools.

The GLX-1 guarantees outstanding connectivity and safety, while functions for recording, transmitting, and securing welding data simplify the transfer of this data over internal customer networks. Operating and safety features are accessible via the intuitive, user-friendly 12-inch touchscreen HMI mounted on a swivel arm for easy viewing from different angles.

The welding machine ensures maximum security with 99 levels of customizable password protection. It can also be easily integrated into plant networks, meeting the requirements for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and communication with Data Interface Gateway (DIG) and Fieldbus interface gateways, a USB port, and an OPC-UA interface.