Contact arrangement, contact system and method for producing a contact arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a contact arrangement (100) and to a contact system, comprising a shaft (24), a contact arrangement and a contact line, in particular for making electrical contact with the shaft, comprising a circuit board (10) having at least one conductor track (12) on which at least one electrical contact (14) is formed and a contact element (16) that comprises at least one limb (18) protruding from the circuit board, wherein the contact element is connected, preferably non-detachably, to the electrical contact at least by laser welding, in particular by laser spot welding. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing a contact arrangement.

Description

[0001] CONTACT ARRANGEMENT, CONTACT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CONTACT ARRANGEMENT

[0002] The invention relates to a contact arrangement, in particular for electrically grounding a shaft according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a contact system comprising such a contact arrangement. The invention also encompasses a device for producing a contact arrangement according to the invention. Furthermore, the invention encompasses a method for producing a contact arrangement.

[0003] Contact arrangements for the electrical grounding of shafts are generally known from the prior art. They typically comprise a printed circuit board with at least one conductor track, which, for example, comprises copper or is formed from copper, and on which at least one electrical contact is formed. Furthermore, known contact arrangements comprise a contact element with at least one, usually two, legs protruding from the printed circuit board. The contact element is connected to the electrical contact, thus establishing an electrically conductive contact.

[0004] In the use of known contact arrangements, a shaft or a slip ring arranged on a shaft, for example, a generator shaft, a motor drive shaft, or another shaft, is movably mounted between the two legs, so that at least a portion of each leg comes into contact with the shaft. This contact is usually achieved via carbon brushes or other sliding contacts arranged at the respective leg end.

[0005] Because the legs or the carbon brushes arranged on them are in contact with the shaft or the slip ring, any electrical energy flowing through the shaft can flow through the legs via the electrically conductive connection between the contact element and the electrical contact, and ultimately via at least one conductor track on the circuit board. Typically, an additional electrical and / or mechanical contact is provided on the circuit board, via which the circuit board is connected to a cable and / or a ground cable. The electrical energy can ultimately flow through this contact, so that the shaft is grounded or an electrical contact is formed via the slip ring.

[0006] In the prior art, the electrical connection between the contact element and the electrical contact of the circuit board is established by soldering and / or screwing. In preparation for soldering and / or screwing, the electrical contact of the circuit board, which is represented, for example, by a section of the conductor track, is usually freed from an overlying plastic layer by etching or other means of removal, thus exposing the electrical contact.

[0007] However, these common connection types are repeatedly subject to functional and / or manufacturing problems. For example, during soldering, air pockets, also known as cavities, can appear in the cured solder. These voids negatively impact the durability and / or quality of the soldered joint, but above all, they significantly reduce electrical conductivity, so that the reliability of electrical contact is no longer sufficiently guaranteed. Furthermore, this type of soldering is usually performed manually and is not suitable for automated production. This results in high costs for the production of the common contact arrangements, which are due in no small part to the manual labor required.Furthermore, particularly when several contact elements are to be arranged on a circuit board, when soldering the individual contact elements to their respective electrical contacts, solder can get between two contact elements, which can cause a short circuit. A further problem can be caused by residues of a flux required for soldering, which can reduce the electrical conductivity between the contact element and the electrical contact of the conductor track. Such a short circuit can no longer guarantee reliable grounding. Screwing contact elements to their respective electrical contacts is advantageous compared to pure soldering, as the disadvantages associated with solder no longer occur. However, screwing is often a manual operation and has so far been only slightly automated.Furthermore, when screwing, there is always a risk of the screw connection becoming loose later. Such loosening results in the contact element only being insufficiently or no longer being in electrical contact with the circuit board, meaning that reliable contact can no longer be guaranteed in this case either. Furthermore, a screw connection is inherently maintenance-intensive, as the screw connection must always be checked at predetermined intervals.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to avoid the above-mentioned problems and / or disadvantages associated with the known connection types of soldering and screwing, and to this end in particular to propose a further developed contact arrangement and / or a further developed contact system and / or a device for producing such a contact arrangement.

[0009] The problem is solved by a contact arrangement having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, the problem is solved by a contact system having the features of claim 16. The problem is also solved by a device for producing such a contact arrangement. A further preferred solution is provided by a method for producing such a contact arrangement according to claim 20.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. The scope of the invention also includes all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the description, the claims and / or the figures. It is understood that the statements made regarding the contact arrangement relate equivalently to the earthing system according to the invention and / or the device for producing a contact arrangement, without being mentioned separately for this or these. It is particularly understood that customary linguistic transformations and / or a corresponding replacement of respective terms within the framework of common linguistic practice, in particular the use of synonyms supported by generally accepted linguistic literature, are encompassed by the present disclosure content without being explicitly mentioned in their respective formulation.This applies in particular to features which are described in connection with a device, but which may relate in the same or at least similar way to a method without being mentioned separately for this.

[0011] The contact arrangement according to the invention, in particular for providing electrical contact with a shaft, for example a drive shaft, a generator shaft or another preferably metallic shaft, and at least one slip ring formed by the shaft or arranged on the shaft, comprises a printed circuit board with at least one conductor track on which at least one electrical contact is formed and a contact element which comprises at least one leg protruding from the printed circuit board. The contact arrangement is characterized in that the contact element is connected to the electrical contact at least by laser welding, in particular by laser spot welding. The contact element is preferably captively connected to the electrical contact.The solution according to the invention, in particular the novel laser welding connection technique for connecting the contact element to the electrical contact of the conductor track, provides a transmission connection for transmitting electrical energy. By welding the contact element to the electrical contact using a laser, it is possible to transmit an electrical current flow via the at least one welding point, so that the contact element and the electrical contact are connected to each other both mechanically and electrically.

[0012] According to the invention, the laser welding connection makes it possible to preferably fully automate the manufacturing process for producing the contact arrangement. Such a connection technology, in particular a fully automated one using laser welding, makes it possible, for example, to achieve a particularly consistent connection quality that is high compared to a soldered connection. A high degree of automation can therefore be achieved according to the invention. This also makes it possible to reduce waste during the manufacture of the contact arrangements compared to the prior art. For example, compared to the prior art, manual soldering and / or screwing is no longer necessary to electrically and mechanically connect the contact element to the electrical contact.Structurally, joining by laser welding can achieve a particularly strong and / or captive mechanical and electrical connection between the contact element and the electrical contact of the circuit board. Compared to a soldered connection, the laser-welded connection preferably has a homogeneous appearance, for example when viewed in an x-ray image. This appearance is due to the energy input into the material to be welded caused by the laser, which melts the material, preferably locally, at the weld point, so that the two components to be welded, here the contact element and the electrical contact, are integrally connected to one another. The laser-welded connection thus forms a direct connection between the contact element and the electrical contact.In contrast, during soldering, a solder material, for example tin solder, is introduced as a foreign material between the components to be joined and adheres to the respective component only at a boundary layer (in particular through boundary layer diffusion of the solder), so that in this way only an indirect connection between the components can be achieved. In addition, the laser welding connection according to the invention enables a current transmission that is in particular of consistent quality or constant over the entire service life of the assembly, comprising the circuit board and the at least one contact element. Furthermore, the method for producing the contact arrangement is very fast and therefore very cost-effective due to the laser welder used, since the laser can specifically create at least one weld spot and / or at least one weld seam for connecting the contact element and the electrical contact.According to the invention, a printed circuit board (PCB), also referred to as a printed circuit card, circuit board, printed circuit, or in English as a printed circuit board, is a carrier for electronic components, for example the at least one contact element. The printed circuit board preferably serves for mechanical fastening and electrical connection. The printed circuit board preferably comprises an electrically insulating material with conductive connections adhered and / or arranged thereon, in particular the at least one conductor track. A preferably fiber-reinforced plastic, for example, serves as the electrically insulating material. The at least one conductor track is usually formed from a thin layer of copper, in particular etched into the surrounding plastic material.As a connection platform between the at least one conductor track and the component to be arranged thereon, in particular the contact element, at least one electrical and also mechanical contact is preferably provided on the at least one conductor track, which is also referred to as a footprint. The electrical contact preferably also serves for the mechanical contact, so that the component to be arranged on the circuit board is mechanically held and electrically connected to it. In addition, the circuit board preferably serves as an assembly platform on which, for example, screw holes and / or electrical and / or mechanical interfaces are arranged and / or formed. It is understood that the circuit board can comprise a plurality of conductor tracks and / or a plurality of electrical contacts, also per conductor track. The contact arrangement is in particular a shaft contact arrangement, in particular a resilient shaft contact arrangement.

[0013] In one embodiment, the at least one conductor track and / or the electrical contact and / or the contact element comprises copper, in particular is made of copper. The at least one electrical contact is preferably a component of the at least one conductor track and can, for example, be a section of the conductor track that is not covered by an insulating plastic. The at least one electrical contact can also be formed and / or provided on the conductor track as a material-reinforced region and, in particular, does not necessarily have to have a material thickness of the remaining at least one conductor track. A material thickness and / or material strength of the at least one electrical contact can therefore fundamentally differ from that of the remaining conductor track.Particularly preferably, the at least one conductor track and / or the electrical contact and / or the contact element is / are made of copper or at least partially contains copper. This is advantageous because copper has excellent electrical conductivity (preferably 5.8 x 10 7 S / m).

[0014] In one embodiment, the connection, in particular the laser-welded connection between the contact element and the electrical contact, is free of solder and / or solder flux and / or adhesive. This embodiment indicates that, in contrast to the prior art, no solder and / or flux and / or adhesive is used in the connection technology according to the invention. Rather, the contact element and the electrical contact are bonded to one another in a material-to-material, in particular integral, manner by the energy—in particular heat—introduction caused by the laser, without the need for additional auxiliary material for the connection.

[0015] In one embodiment, the contact element is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrical contact by laser welding, in particular laser spot welding, at least pointwise or linearly, in particular via a weld seam. Current is subsequently discharged from the shaft via the at least one weld spot and / or the at least one weld seam in order to ground it through the contact arrangement. In principle, other connection patterns for creating electrical and mechanical connections are also possible using the laser.

[0016] In one embodiment, the at least one leg projecting from the circuit board is resilient. Such resilience by the leg is advantageous when the contact arrangement, in its intended use for earthing or contacting a shaft or at least a slip ring, is to come into contact with the latter. The resilient design of the at least one leg then preferably makes it possible to exert a contact pressure on the shaft, which is predetermined in particular by the material-dependent spring constant, so that contact with the shaft is possible with as little interruption as possible. This increases the reliability of providing earthing of the shaft. For example, two contact elements, each with one leg, can be arranged on the circuit board in such a way that the legs lie opposite or face each other. This makes it possible for the shaft orThe slip ring is electrically connected to the contact arrangement at two contact points. The provision of additional contact elements is also possible in principle. Particularly preferably, the contact element is made from a sheet metal strip that is bent at least once. The projecting leg can be produced by bending the sheet metal strip. The sheet metal is preferably a copper sheet, from which the sheet metal strip can preferably be punched or separated. This type of production is particularly cost-effective and easy to automate.

[0017] In one embodiment, a shaft contact section is arranged or formed on a free-standing end region of the at least one leg, which preferably has a graphite content of at least 20%, preferably up to 40%, more preferably up to 60%, particularly preferably up to 80%.

[0018] This shaft contact section is, for example, a carbon brush (in particular with a graphite content of less than 100%). The shaft contact section is preferably designed to come into sliding contact with a shaft or a slip ring that is to be grounded or contacted by the contact arrangement. Particularly preferably, the shaft contact section is arranged reversibly at the end region of the leg, in particular in an exchangeable manner. When the shaft contact section becomes worn due to constant sliding contact with the shaft, it is then possible to replace it, thus extending the service life of the contact arrangement. Particularly preferably, a spring effect of the leg is coordinated such that the shaft contact section does not have a strong contact effect on a shaft when the shaft is to be grounded or contacted by the contact arrangement, in order to prevent excessive wear.

[0019] The carbon brush can be connected to the free-standing end region, preferably in a captive manner, at least by laser welding, in particular by laser spot welding. The carbon brush can then be a multi-layer, preferably two-layer carbon brush. A layer facing the free-standing end region can then be made entirely or at least predominantly of copper.

[0020] In one embodiment, the contact element is formed over the entire surface, at least in some areas. For example, the contact element can be formed from a metal sheet, as mentioned above. A design in which the contact element has one or more recesses and / or punched-out sections is also conceivable in principle, for example, to save material and / or weight and / or material costs.

[0021] In one embodiment, the contact element is connected to the electrical contact in addition to the laser welding connection by at least one screw connection and / or a plug connection. Such a screw connection can be advantageous, for example, for pre-assembly prior to connecting by laser welding in order to fix the contact element in its position relative to the electrical contact. A screw connection can also be advantageous, for example, to provide the adjustability of a spring effect of the at least one leg by screwing the screw connection in and out. The plug connection can be formed, for example, by at least one raised area on the circuit board and / or the conductor track, which is inserted into a correspondingly formed recess in the contact element. This also enables precise positioning of the contact element on the circuit board.

[0022] In one embodiment, the at least one conductor track in the region of the at least one electrical contact has a thickness of <400 micrometers, preferably <200 micrometers, more preferably <150 micrometers, particularly preferably <70 micrometers. The electrical contact can in principle also have a greater material thickness, in particular >400 micrometers. This material thickness is preferred for the laser welding process because, depending on the laser type and laser power, a lower material thickness poses a risk of burn-through, in particular evaporation, which would irreversibly destroy the electrical contact. However, if lasers with a lower power are selected, the material thickness in the area of ​​the electrical contact can generally also be thinner, for example 190, 180, 170, 160, 150, 140, 130, 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70 or 60 micrometers and less.In principle, the at least one conductor track can have such a material thickness only in the area of ​​the electrical contact and otherwise, for example, a material thickness of 50, 45, 40, or 35 micrometers. The at least one conductor track can be thickened, for example, only in the area of ​​the at least one electrical contact. The at least one conductor track can therefore preferably have a material thickness profile that varies along its longitudinal direction.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, the contact element comprises two legs, in particular opposite one another, protruding from the circuit board. This design of the contact element is advantageous because it enables contacting of a shaft or a slip ring at two opposite points. In addition, the production of such a contact element is simple because only two bending points have to be inserted to create the two legs. According to this design, the contact element is therefore preferably designed in the shape of a pair of pliers or tweezers, in particular such that a shaft can be mounted and / or held between the two opposite legs. The contact element is therefore preferably essentially U-shaped or V-shaped when viewed in cross-section.The term “essentially” means that the contact element is shaped, in particular bent, in such a way that its shape, viewed in cross section, is similar to that of a U or a V.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, the two legs each have a resilient effect. Regarding the advantages of a resilient effect, statements have already been made above, which also apply in an equivalent manner to a contact element with two legs. The resilient effect of the legs can preferably be predetermined based on the type of material and the predetermined material thickness. Thus, it is preferably possible for each of the legs to be preloaded relative to a shaft arranged between the legs for grounding, so that it is in preferably constant contact with the shaft or the slip ring.

[0025] According to the invention, a contact system is preferred, comprising a shaft, a contact arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention, and a contact line. The circuit board preferably has a connection section, in particular a plug connection, which is electrically connected to the at least one conductor track within the circuit board and is configured to be connected, in particular electrically and mechanically, to the contact line.The at least one leg protruding from the circuit board is designed to come into electrically conductive contact with the shaft, in particular a rotating shaft or a slip ring arranged on the shaft, in order to conduct electrical energy from the shaft or the slip ring via the laser-welded connection between the contact element and the electrical contact and the at least one conductor track to the contact line, so that the shaft or the slip ring is thereby electrically contacted. Current can therefore flow from the shaft to the contact line via the at least one leg. This makes it possible to ground the shaft. The at least one leg is preferably in current-transmitting contact with the shaft or the slip ring. However, the shaft can preferably move at least rotationally relative to the contact element.It is particularly preferred if the shaft is resiliently mounted on the at least one leg and yet can preferably move at least rotationally relative to it.

[0026] The invention preferably also relates to a device for producing a contact arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention. The device comprises a laser welding device, in particular a laser spot welding device. The laser welding device is designed to connect the contact element to the electrical contact by means of at least one laser welding spot, preferably in a captive, in particular electrically conductive manner. For this purpose, the laser welding device preferably emits a high-energy laser beam onto a region of the contact element to be welded. The laser beam introduces energy into the material of the contact element and the electrical contact, causing at least partial material flow. As a result, the contact element and the electrical contact of the conductor track are integrally connected to one another, i.e., they fuse together at least at the laser penetration point.Particularly preferably, the laser welding device is designed as a laser welding robot, in particular as an end effector of a robot arm. This allows a standard industrial robot, with a laser welding device arranged on its end effector, to be used to manufacture the contact assembly. The invention also provides a method for manufacturing a contact assembly.Such a method comprises at least the following steps: providing a printed circuit board with at least one conductor track on which at least one electrical contact is formed; providing a contact element which comprises at least one leg protruding from the printed circuit board; positioning the contact element relative to the electrical contact such that the contact element covers, in particular touches, the electrical contact at least in some areas; actuating a laser welding device such that a laser beam impinges on at least an overlap region between the contact element and the electrical contact in order to create at least one laser welding spot by means of which the contact element and the electrical contact are at least electrically conductively connected. Particularly preferably, the contact element is also mechanically connected to the electrical contact.Further embodiments of the method emerge from the descriptions of the features of the claims which refer back to claim 1.

[0027] It is understood that the features and combinations of features mentioned above and to be explained below can be combined not only individually but also in any way with one another without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] They show:

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a contact arrangement according to the invention; and

[0031] Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a contact arrangement according to the invention. In the following, essentially the same reference numerals are used for functionally identical components or elements.

[0032] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a contact arrangement 100 according to the invention. The contact arrangement 100 comprises a printed circuit board 10 with at least one conductor track 12, on which at least one electrical contact 14 is formed (see Figure 2). Furthermore, the contact arrangement 100 comprises a contact element 16, which has at least one leg 18 protruding from the printed circuit board 10. According to the embodiments shown, the contact element 16 comprises two opposing legs 18.

[0033] According to Fig. 1, the contact arrangement 100 comprises, for example, four similarly designed contact elements 16. The contact arrangement 100 also comprises, for example, four conductor tracks 12. In this case, one of the electrical contacts 14 is formed on each of the conductor tracks. Each of the contact elements 16 is electrically conductively and mechanically connected, in particular by a material bond, to one of the electrical contacts 14. The connection is produced according to the invention by laser welding and is designated by the reference numeral 15 (laser welded connection). The laser welded connection 15 can, for example, be a laser welded spot connection and / or a laser welded seam connection. The contact elements 16 are each arranged spaced apart from one another on the printed circuit board 10. Each of the conductor tracks 12 runs, in particular in the printed circuit board 10, to a connection section 20, in this case a plug connection 22.The circuit board 10 or the contact arrangement 100 can be connected to a contact line not shown in detail.

[0034] The contact arrangement 100 is configured, by means of at least one leg 18 projecting from the circuit board 10, to be in electrically conductive contact with a shaft 24 (see Fig. 2), in particular a rotating shaft, when the contact arrangement 100 is used in accordance with its intended use for the electrical grounding of such a shaft 24. Through this contact, electrical energy which arises at the shaft, for example due to electrostatic and / or electrodynamic effects, but which should not lead to polarization or charging of the shaft 24, can be conducted from the shaft 24 via the at least one contact element 16, via the laser-welded connection between the contact element 16 and the electrical contact 14, via the at least one conductor track 12, and via the connection section 20 to the contact line, so that the shaft 24 is grounded or electrically contacted.

[0035] At a free-standing end region of at least one leg 18, a shaft contact section 26 is arranged, which in this case is designed as a carbon brush. The shaft contact section 26 is arranged replaceably at the end region of the respective leg 18. The shaft contact section 26 is in contact with the shaft 24, so that an electrical current can flow from the shaft 24 to the shaft contact section 26. The shaft contact section 26 is arranged in an electrically conductive manner on the leg 18. The shaft contact section 26 is preferably made of carbon or has a high graphite content. This ensures a very good electrically conductive connection.

[0036] According to Fig. 1, the contact element 16 is connected to the circuit board 10 via two screw connections 28 in addition to the laser weld connection 15. Likewise, four screw holes 30 are provided in the circuit board 10, for example, through which the circuit board 10 can be attached, for example, to a mounting base or other component in order to ensure grounding or contacting of the shaft 24.

[0037] In principle, the embodiments can be easily transferred to a slip ring arranged on a shaft or a corresponding number of slip rings.

Claims

Claims: A contact arrangement, in particular for electrical contacting of a shaft (24), comprising a printed circuit board (10) with at least one conductor track (12) on which at least one electrical contact (14) is formed, and a contact element (16) comprising at least one leg (18) projecting from the printed circuit board (10), characterized in that the contact element (16) is connected to the electrical contact (14) at least by laser welding, in particular by laser spot welding, preferably in a captive manner. A contact arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one conductor track (12) and / or the electrical contact (14) and / or the contact element (16) comprises copper, in particular is made of copper. A contact arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The connection between the contact element (16) and the electrical contact (14) is free of solder and / or solder flux and / or adhesive. A contact arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (16) is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrical contact (14) by laser welding, in particular laser spot welding, at least point-wise or line-wise. A contact arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one leg (18) projecting from the circuit board (10) is resiliently designed. A contact arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (16) is made from a sheet metal strip that is bent at least once.Contact arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shaft contact section (26) is arranged or formed on a freestanding end region of the at least one leg (18), which preferably has a graphite content of at least 20%, preferably up to 40%, more preferably up to 60%, and particularly preferably up to 80%. A contact arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the shaft contact section (26) forms a carbon brush. A contact arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the carbon brush is connected to the free end region at least by laser welding, in particular by laser spot welding, preferably in a captive manner. A contact arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (16) is formed over a full surface, at least in some areas. A contact arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (16) is connected to the electrical contact (14) by at least one screw connection (28) and / or a plug connection.A contact arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductor track (12) in the region of the at least one electrical contact (14) has a thickness of <400 micrometers, preferably <200 micrometers, more preferably <150 micrometers, and particularly preferably <70 micrometers. A contact arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that. The contact element (16) comprises two legs (18), in particular opposing legs, projecting from the circuit board (10). Contact arrangement according to claim 13, characterized in that the contact element (16) is substantially U-shaped or V-shaped in cross-section. Contact arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the two legs (18) each have a spring-like effect. Contact system comprising a shaft (24), a contact arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, and a contact line, wherein the circuit board (10) has a connection section (20), in particular a plug connection (22), which is electrically conductively connected within the circuit board (10) to the at least one conductor track (12) and is configured to be connected to the contact line, wherein the at least one leg (18) projecting from the circuit board (10) is configured toto come into electrically conductive contact with the shaft (24), in particular a rotating shaft, or a slip ring arranged on the shaft, in order to conduct electrical energy from the shaft (24) or the slip ring via the laser weld connection (15) between the contact element (16) and the electrical contacting (14), which has at least one conductor (12), to the contact line, so that the shaft (24) or the slip ring is electrically contacted. Contact system according to claim 16, characterized in that, The shaft (24) is resiliently mounted on the at least one leg (18). Device for producing a contact arrangement (100) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it comprises a laser welding device, in particular a laser spot welding device, which is configured to connect the contact element (16) to the electrical contact (14) by means of at least one laser welding spot, preferably permanently, in particular electrically conductively. Device according to claim 18, characterized in that the laser welding device is configured as a laser welding robot, in particular as an end effector of a robot arm.A method for manufacturing a contact arrangement comprising the steps of: providing a printed circuit board with at least one conductor track on which at least one electrical contact is formed; providing a contact element comprising at least one leg projecting from the printed circuit board; positioning the contact element relative to the electrical contact such that the contact element at least partially covers, and in particular touches, the electrical contact; and actuating a laser welding device such that a laser beam strikes at least an overlapping area between the contact element and the electrical contact in order to generate at least one laser weld spot by which the contact element and the electrical contact are at least electrically conductive, and preferably also mechanically, connected.

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