New standardized JENOPTIK-VOTAN® A system for invisible airbag tear lines

Customers such as automotive suppliers benefit from laser material processing with significant advantages in terms of cost, size and delivery time. The costs for a "JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A+" machine are reduced by up to 30 percent compared to a classic system. It requires 13 square meters less floor space on the factory floor and is delivered one month faster. This corresponds to a reduction in delivery and installation time of up to 20 percent.

Highest precision for more safety

Every third car manufactured worldwide has an invisible tear line for the passenger airbag in its instrument panel – produced with a VOTAN^®-A system from Jenoptik. The reason: absolute precision in laser material processing. The sharply focused laser beam of a JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A system cuts each individual hole of the invisible weakening line precisely into the material until reaching the minimum residual wall thickness. A sensor unit uses the transmitted laser radiation to ensure that the tear line corresponds one hundred percent to the preset parameters. The surface material of the workpiece is retained in full quality. The control loop ensures that the predetermined breaking point tears open cleanly when an airbag is triggered – as planned by the engineers. With the help of digitized process monitoring, the exact execution for each individual hole of the laser airbag weakening can be traced and proven.

Fast, safe, durable and attractively priced

Jenoptik’s laser technology for optimum airbag performance is unique – it is fast, safe and durable. "Other processes cut or mill the tear lines and cannot react as quickly to tool or material variations during processing. In addition, in these cases, the workpieces become contaminated by splinters and have to be cleaned with compressed air in a further process step," says Carsten Keim, head of sales and product management in Jenoptik’s laser material processing business. "VOTAN^® A systems work precisely, quickly and cleanly. Since lasers also operate wear-free, they are often in use for up to three life cycles, or about 18 years. In the long term, this brings an enormous cost advantage." The JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A+ machine enables entry into using laser technology for invisible airbag scoring at an attractive price.

30 years of experience meets continuous improvement

"With almost 30 years of product experience and more than 350 VOTAN-A machines in the market worldwide, we compared our VOTAN^® A product group with the current and future requirements of the market in a process of continuous improvement," says Sebastian Dienert, product manager of the JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A product group. "Within this evaluation, the idea of a standardized VOTAN^® A system was born."

The standardized JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A+ has a modular design. It can be configured and easily expanded using predefined design packages. The in-house technology software is continuously developed further so that the compact and flexible JENOPTIK-VOTAN^® A+ is suitable for Industry 4.0 applications and ready to support further advances in digitalization.