Panasonic Corp. (Osaka, Japan; www.panasonic.com) announced that it will start mass production of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) molding compounds for laser welding in March 2016, a move that will contribute to the enhancement of longterm reliability and the flexibility of design of automotive switches and sensors.
Currently, processing methods including sealing with packings and bolts, bonding with adhesive agents, as well as ultrasonic welding, are used for the production of automotive sensors. Instead of such processing methods, laser welding has recently attracted the industry’s attention as its high welding strength can shorten the bonding time and increase productivity. However, plastic molding compounds generally used for laser welding have had low laser transmittance, leading to problems with welding strength and waterproof properties. In order to solve these problems, Panasonic has commercialized PBT molding compounds with what is said to be the industry’s highest laser transmittance (reportedly 72%); they excel in their welding strength and waterproof properties. With these compounds, it is possible to use laser welding instead of the current processing methods, and therefore longterm reliability and the flexibility of design can be enhanced when they are applied to automotive components.