Samsonite adapts aluminium moulds using LCV laser cladding

In prototyping new suitcase variants, Samsonite lays composite fiber prepregs into aluminium moulds. Such a mould forms the required lightweight suitcase shape, while completing material curing. When initiating a new prototype iteration round, Samsonite specifies the mould areas requiring a cladded layer of predefined thickness. LCV uses a robotised laser cladding cell to automatically add the aluminium layers on curved mould surfaces. As laser cladding characterises low energy input, there is minimal impact on the geometrical and structural integrity of the moulds.