Drone & UAV Manufacturing Welding Solutions | Sunstone

Manufacturing applications on this aircraft

Battery & power systems

Part: Copper interconnects to 18650 / 21700 cell terminals, high-discharge flight packs
Materials: Cu · Al · pure Ni · Ni-plated steel
Challenge: Copper's low resistance lets current pass through the joint without building heat at the interface. Heat that escapes into the cell degrades it.

Solutions

Omega PA250i: pure copper tabs 0.010"–0.020"; joins Cu to steel or Al; small, localized HAZ; three configurations, benchtop to PLC-ready CNC line
SFL fiber laser cell: 1,500 W / 3,000 W enclosed, galvo-scanned; built for tabs, busbars, interconnects; UAV batteries a named use
Design option: switch to Ni or Ni-plated tab material to bring the joint into CD or Linear DC resistance range

Brushless motors & ESCs

Part: Stator magnet wire and phase leads to motor and ESC terminals
Materials: Enameled Cu magnet wire · stranded Cu · brass
Challenge: Enamel incorporated into the weld makes the joint inconsistent. Fine wire sits beside windings and magnets that will not tolerate stray heat.

Solutions

Pico DC + thermocompression electrodes: heat and pressure displace the enamel at the joint instead of mixing it in; force and displacement monitoring built in; magnet wire welding and small coil termination are named applications
Stranded phase leads: CD resistance or Orion pulse arc, energy dialed to the gauge

Wire harnesses & connectors

Part: Harness conductors to ring terminals and connector pins
Materials: Tinned + bare Cu · brass terminals · pins
Challenge: Hundreds of nominally identical joints per airframe. Hand soldering adds cold joints, operator variance, and weight.

Solutions

Aeon HF inverter: fully controlled micro resistance welding for consistent, repeatable results
Linear DC: closed-loop feedback with HF-inverter power; high repetition rates, fine low-energy control; consistency monitored at the weld
Orion pulse arc: connector pin welding; solderless joints, no flux residue near contacts

Frame & structure

Part: Thin-wall titanium and aluminum arms, motor mounts, landing-gear brackets
Materials: Ti · Al · stainless · Inconel and nickel alloys
Challenge: Heat distortion and thin-material joining, named by Sunstone as core aerospace problems. A distorted mount throws motor alignment; a scrapped machined arm is expensive.

Solutions

Orion LZR (Select / Pro / 300 Pro Max): energy focused at the joint so thin walls hold geometry; 300 Pro Max positioned for stable, repeatable production
Orion pulse arc: repair and rework with controlled heat input and operator visibility; critical dimensions preserved

PCBs & flight controllers

Part: Flex circuit and FPC to flight controller board
Materials: FPC Cu traces · solder alloy · PCB pads
Challenge: Fine-pitch terminations near heat-intolerant components. Excess energy lifts the pad; contamination risk is real.

Solutions

Hot bar reflow: controlled temperature and pressure at the joint only, not the assembly
Thermocompression bonding: dual pulse welders and micro weld heads, Sunstone's recommended setup for reliable, repeatable fine bonds

Sensors & payloads

Part: LiDAR, IMU, and camera housings; hermetic sensor enclosures
Materials: Kovar · stainless steel · titanium · nickel-plated alloys
Challenge: The optics and MEMS inside a payload housing are intolerant of heat, yet the enclosure needs a hermetic seal against moisture, contamination, and pressure change.

Solutions

Orion LZR laser: non-contact energy at the seam; hermetic packages are an established Sunstone aerospace application
Orion pulse arc: applied alongside laser to enclosures and lids
Pico DC: lead-level joining with built-in force and displacement monitoring

Antennas & RF

Part: Coax to SMA / MMCX connectors; shield and ground terminations
Materials: Cu conductor and braid shield · plated brass connector bodies
Challenge: RF performance is decided by joint consistency, and the conductors are fine enough that a slightly hot schedule damages them.

Solutions

Pico DC: ultra-low heat input; closed-loop feedback monitors every weld and alerts when one lands outside user-defined parameters
Hot bar reflow: shield and ground terminations with a tight thermal footprint

Part identification

Part: Frame members, ESC housings, controller boards
Materials: Ti · Al · stainless · engineering plastics
Challenge: Marks must survive weather, handling, and vibration, often on small or curved surfaces, without damaging the substrate. Traceability is a defining aerospace constraint.

Solutions

Laser marking: non-contact and permanent; etched into metal or plastic, nothing peels or abrades
Directed beam: small and contoured geometry stays viable; serials, barcodes, 2D data-matrix codes

Airframe shown is stylized and illustrative. Applications apply across electric and combustion UAV platforms.

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Drone & UAV Battery Production

Battery Pack Manufacturing Systems

Explore welding systems for battery tabs, interconnects, busbars, modules, and production assembly. The right process depends on your battery design, materials, joint geometry, throughput, and automation requirements. Sunstone can evaluate your application and help identify the appropriate welding technology and configuration.

Battery Tab Welding

CDDP-A Battery Tab Welding System

A dual-pulse capacitive-discharge solution for repeatable battery-tab welding with weld monitoring and production controls. Pair with the WH2 parallel weld head and application-specific electrodes after application review.

Explore the CDDP-A

High-Current Interconnects

Omega PA250i Battery Interconnect System

A high-energy pulse arc system for conductive battery materials and interconnects, including copper-tab applications. Available with stylus or weld-head configurations based on the application.

Explore the Omega PA250i

Automated Battery Welding Configuration Required

Omega PA250i CNC Battery Welding System

An automated Omega configuration combining the PA250i, motorized weld-head control, and CNC motion for repeatable battery production. Final automation, fixturing, and process requirements are configured for the application.

Configure a CNC System

Fiber Laser Welding Configuration Required

SFL Fiber Laser Battery Welding Cell

An integrated fiber laser welding cell for battery modules, tabs, busbars, and high-current interconnects. Laser power, automation, fixturing, and process requirements are configured around the application.

Configure an SFL Cell

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Precision welding for UAV manufacturing