LASER WELDED PLASTIC INTERCOOLER

摘要

A traditional intercooler comprises a plurality of tubes and a pair of tube plates to secure and align the tubes. Each end of each tube must be attached and sealed which can be time consuming and expensive. An intercooler assembly (26) is provided and includes a housing (42) that defines an internal space (50) containing a plurality of tubes (52). A joint between a tube and a tube plate (54, 56) is created by a laser welding process. A form (196) presses the walls of the tube outwardly to form the flange (186). The downward force of the form (196) not only creates the desired flange (186), but also exerts a pressure that holds the flange (186) against the tube plate (54, 56). The form (196) provides for the transmission of laser energy so that the creation of the flange (186) can be performed concurrently with the welding process.