High-precision
system components
for more sustainable mobility

Who we are

Your reliable partner in Germany

Founded in 1998 as a pioneer of laser beam welding, Photon has continually extended its portfolio, production capacities and level of expertise, enabling its clients to maximize on the benefits of laser beam welding and other innovative manufacturing technologies for their products.

  • Extensive engineering and systems
    expertise from Germany
  • Development, planning, management and manufacturing from a single source
  • Owner-managed medium-sized company since 1998
  • Long-term growth strategy and focus on
    sustainable client relations
  • A team of 300 experienced, dedicated
    employees

Three industries. Six sectors.

Rail

Automotive

Shipbuilding

Making mobility more sustainable: our contribution

Resource-saving production Less energy and material

Weight reduction Less emissions and lower operating costs

Quality and precision Less maintenance and longer-lasting products

Average savings for streetcars due to laser versus conventional design ...

Calculation compares BIW weight of a 20 m streetcar optimized for laser beam welding to a conventional resistance spot welding design.

Calculation applies to the reduction in electrical energy costs for a standard city fleet of 300 trains (20 m twin cars) over their lifetime of 25 years (85,000 km/train/year) caused by 20% BIW weight savings as a result of laser optimized lightweight design compared to conventional resistance spot welding design. (Based on an average price of €0.45/kWh over 25 years. Higher manufacturing costs of €4 million for laser-based production are taken into account.)

Calculation applies to the reduction in electrical energy consumption for a standard city fleet of 300 trains (20 m twin cars) over their lifetime of 25 years (85,000 km/train/year) caused by 20% BIW weight savings as a result of laser optimized lightweight design compared to conventional resistance spot welding design. (Conversion rate: 0.42 kg CO2/kWh)

Career

Become part of the Photon family!

References

The new DB lightweight-steel champion – laser welded by Photon

For the 1,465 carriages of the new Deutsche Bahn flagship train (Siemens Bombardier),
Photon manufactures sidewall and roof segments as well as roof bows and
crossbeams for the underframe.

  • Laser welding XXL
  • Lightweight steel construction: stability & efficiency
  • Development of the manufacturing concept and component-design support
  • Highest precision, from the production of individual parts to the automated welding process

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  • The new DB lightweight-steel champion – laser welded by Photon

    The new flagship of the DB fleet will be in use for decades – reaching top speeds of up to 250 km / h.

    For the outer shell, this means meeting the highest standards in terms of stability and workmanship. But it also needs to be lightweight. Because every superfluous gram of weight travels over millions of kilometres, worsens the energy balance and thus causes higher costs in the long run. Quite a challenge for the Siemens/Bombardier carriage builders.

    The Photon solution: steel and laser. Laser-welded carriage components made of sheet steel offer maximum stability even with low material thicknesses – without space-wasting internal reinforcements, which are necessary when using aluminium, for example.

    Photon’s XXL laser welding portals allow even the thinnest steel sheets to be welded with the highest quality, precision and strength – efficiently, quickly and with no visible welds on the outer skin. This saves time, money and materials in the production process, creates space in the interior of the train and reduces the environmental impact of the ICE 4.

    A solution that has convinced Siemens/Bombardier. Over the next few years, Photon will produce sidewalls, roof assemblies and underframe components for approximately 1,600 ICE 4 carriages. And in many other trains, too, there is more than just one piece of Photon. For the competition, this means:

    “Stand back please!”

Photon goes West – with the Rocky Mountaineer

For Stadler Pankow GmbH, Photon manufactures the sidewalls, end segments and roofs of the carriages of the luxury double-decker panoramic train. The result: unbeatable stability and aesthetics.

  • Laser welding XXL (up to 25 m)
  • Support with component construction
  • Semi-automated production process for small series
  • Very heavy steel construction with extreme material combinations

Mehr erfahren

  • Photon goes West – with the Rocky Mountaineer

    Since 1990, the Rocky Mountaineer has crossed the vast, majestic landscapes of western Canada and the United States. What makes these trains so special are the big, domed windows, which offer breath-taking, panoramic views of the magnificent landscapes.

    The production of the carriages is anything but easy: greatest possible stability and safety are as important as a unique aesthetic befitting the exclusive clientele.

    Particular challenges are the sheer size of the carriage bodies (about 25 m long) and the heavy steel construction with extreme material combinations (thin sheet metal with high profile thickness). Clearly a job for the XXL laser-welding pioneers from Photon.

    From the beginning, Photon specialists were involved in the design of the components. The required technology and the semi-automated production process for the small series were also designed and implemented by Photon.

    When producing the sidewalls, end walls and roofs for the carriage bodies produced by Stadler GmbH Pankow, Photon pushes at the limits of laser welding technology – in terms of component geometry as well as tolerances and material combinations.
    Where others have failed, the Photon engineers and welders achieve excellent results due to their experience and absolute passion for the potential of laser.

    Which goes to prove that with Photon, going West is anything but arduous.

Bentley Bentayga: In-depth process expertise from Photon

For the pre-series production of the “most luxurious SUV in the world” (Focus magazine), Photon was responsible for the roof-seam welding of the car body.

  • Laser-beam welding (aluminium), engineering, process consulting
  • Extremely minimal warping, flawless welding of the highest quality
  • Construction of a tensioning device
  • Absolute confidentiality

Mehr erfahren

  • Bentley Bentayga: In-depth process expertise from Photon

    The eyes of the world were on the exclusive car brand Bentley when it announced the production of its first SUV. All the more important that everything went smoothly in the test phase. The welding of the body seams for the pre-production models was a particularly sensitive issue. Warping through heat can lead to rippling (bumps on the roof). Other process errors (pores, holes, splashes) can also be very difficult to rework in the outer skin area of ​​the aluminium body – which can lead to the roof needing to be renovated or even to the loss of the entire body.

    That’s why the manufacturer left nothing to chance and entrusted Photon’s highly skilled laser-welding experts with the difficult task. A major vote of confidence, which incited Photon to peak performance.

    By means of a tensioning device designed by Photon, the roof segments and sub-segments of the aluminium bodies, delivered under the highest secrecy, were positioned with micrometre precision. In the Photon laser-beam welding portals, the roof seams of all bodies could then be joined, as planned, with minimal warping.

    In the subsequent test phase, the pre-production models were a great success, series production started, and in 2016, the first vehicles were delivered and celebrated by car enthusiasts worldwide.

Rolls-Royce BR725: Photon’s contribution to jet engine optimisation

For Rolls-Royce Germany, Photon took to the skies – controlling the entire sheet metal process chain.

  • Engineering, 2D laser-beam welding, forming, 3D laser-beam cutting; 3D laser-beam welding
  • Extreme demands on quality, safety and resilience
  • Weight reduction by more than 30% with the same stability

Mehr erfahren

  • Rolls-Royce BR725: Photon’s contribution to jet engine optimisation

    How do you make a good engine even better? This was the question faced by the engineers of Rolls-Royce Germany in the development phase of the turbofan engine BR725, which is a further development of the BR710.

    A possible area of optimisation was the exhaust cone, usually made of nickel-based steel. The alternative: titanium – an expensive but very popular material in aviation due to the fact that it is strong, corrosion-resistant and lightweight.

    For the manufacturing, RR turned to Photon – and received an attractive overall package: from comprehensive planning and design to cutting, rolling and bending of individual parts, coordination of the necessary forming processes, right through to 3D laser-beam welding in Photon’s state-of-the-art laser welding portals.

    The Photon specialists did a great job: they were able to reduce the weight by over 30%, while meeting the highest standards in terms of quality, safety and resilience.

    In the end, titanium wasn’t used in the exhaust cone, but in the fan. And the BR725, which among other things powers the Gulfstream G650, the world’s fastest and longest-range business jet, is actually quieter, more economical and cleaner than its predecessors.

    Titanium and laser – an unbeatable combination from Photon.

Contact
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Photon AG

Staakener Straße 53-63
13581 Berlin
ag[at]photonag.com