Micro Welding for UAV and Drone Manufacturing

Nickel, aluminum, and SigmaClad® tabs

Heat control is central to battery welding. Excess heat conducted through the cell housing can damage the internal separator, so the process must concentrate energy at the tab-to-can interface. The CDDP-A stores energy in capacitors and releases it in a controlled burst for a localized heat-affected zone. Stored energy also reduces sensitivity to line-voltage fluctuations.

Four models span 200 to 1,200 watt-seconds of stored energy. Tab thickness, cell format, and can material determine the appropriate model. Additional capacity can accommodate future pack designs; validate the selection on your own parts.

Copper tabs

Copper carries heat away from the joint quickly, making it challenging for some resistance processes. The Omega PA250i delivers a metered pulse arc through a tungsten electrode. The application range is 0.003 to 0.025 inches for pure copper and up to 0.020 inches for SigmaClad®; capability depends on the joint.

Stylus, weld-head, and CNC configurations support work from development to automated production. PLC integration is available for production lines.

Production volume

The SFL Series is an integrated fiber laser cell for 18650 and 21700 cylindrical modules, prismatic assemblies, busbar-to-terminal connections, and cell housing seams. The 1,500 W and 3,000 W configurations combine X–Y motion with two-axis galvo scanning over a 1000 × 800 mm working area.

Review facility requirements early: 480 V three-phase power, 15–20 kVA for the 1,500 W configuration or 30–40 kVA for the 3,000 W configuration, deionized-water cooling with a 16-liter minimum, shielding gas, and compressed air. The enclosed cell and final configuration should be reviewed with the applications team. SFL pricing is configuration-specific.

Settle the coating requirement first

Magnet wire is copper with a thin enamel coating. With the coating intact, thermocompression applies heat and force together to displace the coating at the contact point. The Pico DC paired with the Micro E weld head supports this work.

Removing the coating opens up laser, pulse arc, and resistance welding options. Wire gauge, terminal geometry, and proximity to the winding guide the choice. Stranded phase leads can use capacitive discharge resistance or pulse arc welding, subject to sample evaluation.

Pico DC with Micro E

The Pico DC offers closed-loop DC resistance control over 0.10–5.00 V, 10–250 A, and 1.0–650 W, with single- or dual-pulse weld times from 1–500 milliseconds. The Micro E provides 30–2,000 grams of force, one-micron positional accuracy, and 25 mm of travel.

Force and displacement monitoring requires both the Pico DC and Micro E. Include the welder, weld head, electrodes, and application tooling in the configuration review.

Aeon HF for repetitive terminations

A harness can contain hundreds of terminations exposed to sustained vibration. Welding can join the metals directly without added solder or flux. Joint geometry, conductor gauge, and production testing determine whether the process suits the assembly.

The Aeon HF provides up to 2,500 A at a 12% duty cycle, with a 40-microsecond feedback response. It monitors current, voltage, power, resistance, and displacement independently on each pulse. Protected schedules and Ethernet Modbus support remote schedule selection and weld-data collection.

Confirm facility power before specifying the system. Aeon HF configurations use 208, 400, or 480 VAC three-phase power.

Orion pulse arc for connector work

The Orion 150s offers 1–150 joules, a 0.5–3.5 mm weld spot, and up to nine welds per second for repetitive terminations. The Orion 200x offers 0.15–200 joules, a 0.1–4.5 mm spot, and classic, triangle, and square waveforms. Evaluate the process on your connector and conductor stack.

Control distortion and shielding

Structural joints must meet both strength and dimensional requirements. Excess heat can warp a thin-wall tube or motor mount even when the weld itself is sound. Review applicable customer and program requirements during process development.

Titanium requires effective shielding during welding and cooling. Confirm gas coverage and pre-flow and post-flow timing for the selected system and joint.

Systems for structural work

The Orion LZR 300 Pro Max delivers up to 300 joules, 150 W average power, and 15 kW peak power, with a 0.1–2.0 mm spot and speeds up to 50 welds per second. Focused energy helps limit the heat-affected zone on thin-wall parts.

The SFL Series is another option for structural production, with welding, surface-cleaning, and cutting capabilities to evaluate against the application. For repair and rework, the Orion 200x combines controlled pulse arc energy with 5× optics.

Hot bar pulse heat reflow

Hot bar reflow is selective soldering, not welding. A shaped thermode heats the joint pattern, melts the solder, and holds pressure until it solidifies. Digital PID temperature control supports repeatable profiles while monitoring upper and lower limits and detecting profile errors.

The system stores 15 settings and includes RS-232C and I/O for automation. It is compatible with lead-free solder. Hot bar systems are quoted by application and are available for sale in the United States only.

Parallel-gap welding

The Pico DC supports parallel-gap welding, with both electrodes on the same side of the joint. For wire-to-pad bonding at 1–3 mil wire diameters, evaluate a dual-pulse welder paired with a micro weld head. Validate the process against the pad, conductor, and board construction.

Enclosure seams and internal leads

The Wave AC supports hermetic seams on enclosures and lids using continuous AC energy in seam mode. Weld-time adjustments to one hundredth of a second help control heat on thin-wall housings.

Package materials include stainless steel, titanium, and Kovar. Kovar’s thermal expansion closely matches borosilicate glass, making it useful around glass-to-metal seals. Fine internal leads can be evaluated with the Pico DC and Micro E for controlled energy and force.

Leak-testing requirements vary by application and industry. Send your parts and specification so the applications team can evaluate the joint against your requirements.

Match the process to the termination

Connection consistency affects RF performance. Where the braid is fine enough, the Pico DC provides controlled, low-energy resistance welding. Evaluate the actual cable and braid thickness before choosing the process.

For SMA and MMCX terminations that require soldering, hot bar pulse heat reflow delivers controlled heat and pressure within a small footprint. Hot bar systems are available for sale in the United States only.

Permanent identification

Laser marking creates identifiers directly on compatible substrates without applying a label. It supports traceability for frames, ESC housings, boards, and other UAV components in titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, and suitable plastics.

Evaluate the marking process against the substrate, available marking area, and service environment. Browse laser engravers for part-identification options.