Interactions between feed system and process in production of preforms as linked micro parts

This contribution deals with interactions between feed system and process in the production of preforms as linked parts, which is the first step of a multi-stage process chain for cold forming of micro parts. Due to the interconnection of the parts, the feed system is not only used for part transport, but also for the positioning during the generation of the preforms by laser rod melting. Thereby, the influence of the feed system on the production is more significant. Absorbed laser energy melts a wire, so that a melt pool is formed. While the wire is fixed on one side, the other side is fed into the melt pool whose volume increases. The production can be divided in the steps of preheating, active melting, solidification and transportation. The positioning takes place in parallel to the melting. Until now, the increase of the output rate was based especially on the consideration of the melting process and higher feed velocities. In this contribution, the interactions between feed and process are analyzed with the goal of further increasing the output rate. For that reason, the positioning behavior and its influence on the geometry of the produced preforms are analyzed. Finally, a method is presented, which unites the steps of transportation, preheating and melting. It is shown, that by a favorable coordination of the individual process steps, a further increase of the output rate is achievable without significantly worsening part quality.