Laser Welding Engineer - Battery Manufacturing Engineering

Laser Welding Engineer - Battery Manufacturing Engineering

Dearborn, MI, United States (Hybrid)

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

In this position...

Ford is rapidly scaling next-generation battery manufacturing, including cell-to-pack architectures for our future electric vehicles. We are seeking a Laser Welding Engineer to develop, industrialize, and optimize laser joining processes between battery cell cans and busbar/current collector assemblies.

In this role, you will be the technical owner of laser welding processes used to join cylindrical/prismatic battery cells to module and pack-level current collectors. You will drive process development from early concept through pilot line, launch, and high-volume production—balancing weld quality, throughput, cost, and design constraints.

You will work closely with cell engineering, pack design, manufacturing, controls/automation, quality, and supplier partners to deliver robust, scalable laser welding solutions for Ford’s global EV programs.

What you'll do...

Process Development & Industrialization

• Develop and own laser welding processes for:
  • Joining battery cell terminals (e.g., Al, Ni-plated steel) to copper/aluminum busbars/current collectors
  • Tab-less / cell-to-pack architectures and high-density interconnects
• Define and optimize welding parameters (power, speed, focus, pulse shape, shielding gas, overlap, focal position, etc.) to meet mechanical, electrical, and thermal performance requirements.
• Plan and execute structured Design of Experiments (DoE) to establish process windows, main effects, and sensitivities across cell, busbar, and fixture variants.
• Lead process characterization including pull/shear testing, microsection analysis, porosity/crack evaluation, electrical resistance, and thermal performance.

Equipment, Tooling & Automation

• Specify and validate laser systems and subsystems:
  • Fiber lasers (CW and pulsed), beam delivery optics, scanners, galvos, clamping/fixturing, and motion/robot systems.
  • Vision systems for seam tracking, part localization, and weld path alignment.
  • Inline weld monitoring (e.g., photodiode, pyrometer, imaging, acoustic/optical sensors).
• Define and implement tooling and fixturing concepts that ensure repeatable cell positioning, pressure/contact, alignment, and thermal management.
• Collaborate with controls and automation engineers to integrate laser welding equipment into automated assembly lines, including interfaces to PLCs, robots, MES, and quality systems.
• Support equipment FAT/SAT, commissioning, and ramp-up at Ford plants and pilot lines.

Quality, Reliability & Safety

• Develop and maintain PFMEAs, control plans, and standardized work for laser welding operations.
• Define critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria; establish inline and offline inspection strategies.
• Work with quality and product teams to correlate weld process parameters and defects to pack-level performance, durability, and abuse-test outcomes, and ensure compliance with Ford’s safety standards and industry best practices for high-power laser systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with:
  • Battery cell and pack design teams
    to influence joint design, materials, and stack-ups for manufacturability and weldability (DFM/DFW).
  • Cell and materials engineers
    to understand coating stacks, current collector materials, and their impact on weld behavior.
  • Manufacturing and industrial engineering
    to plan line layouts, takt times, and scaling strategies.
  • Suppliers and integrators
    to qualify equipment, tooling, and consumables.
• Provide laser welding expertise to support design reviews, technical trade studies, and cost/feasibility assessments.
• Support problem-solving activities (8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa) for build issues, field returns, and validation test failures linked to weld integrity.

You'll have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Welding…