A Comprehensive Guide to Choose the Best Laser Welding Machine

Jack February 9, 2022

51 2 minutes read

Laser welding is a non-contact methodology that permits metal pieces to be made primarily by a laser beam. This kind of welding needs high speed and is appropriate for thin welding with low thermal deformation.

The speed of this method, the power to control the differentia of welding during the procedure, and its high level of automation have led to laser welding in multiple industries such as the medical industry, toolmaking, electronics, and automotive sector. However, in this post, we have explained about choosing the best laser welding machine for your required purposes.

How to choose the laser beam source?

There are three sources: CO2 laser, Nd: YAG laser, and fiber laser. The source selection depends on the type of laser you select (shaking or uninterrupted).

CO2 laser:

The technology operates a gas mixture of helium, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen that is electrically inspirited and optimized for the ongoing process.
CO2 lasers can pierce thick sheets with great speed and efficiency like fiber lasers.
It is more relaxed and can penetrate thicker and lighter materials than fiber lasers.
It is more useful at piercing thick steel parts than fiber lasers, which are more widely exploited.
This laser provides an average efficiency of 7% for 8,000 watts.

Nd: YAG Laser:

It allows sufficient control of the laser pulse’s power, time, and shape.
It is optimized for the pulsed mode.
This type of laser is less energy efficient (3 to 4% efficiency) than CO2 lasers (7 to 10%) and fiber lasers (25 to 30%).
But it emits beatings of very different wavelengths that don’t attain their target and are then laid in heat.

Fiber laser:

This technology is established on sharp and thin rays that permit continued and piercing work to be carried out.
Like the CO2 laser, the fiber laser can pierce thick sheets with incredible rate and efficiency.
It is more uncomplicated to incorporate into one machine than other lasers in both use and care.
This laser equips an average efficiency of 25%.

What parameters should you check?

Before using your laser welder, you ought to inspect several parameters. Here are some known precautions to ensure that your welding operation is flourishing.

Make sure you have a suitable diameter of a beam: Diameter affects welding rendition. We suggest choosing a laser beam with 0.5 and 2.0 mm in diameter.
Adjust the power: It is essential to correctly adjust the energy to the process. It will prevent energy wastage.
Check the pulse frequency: Pulse frequencies excessively elevated result in inadequate pulse strength, making welding petite efficient or even inadequate.
Observe the laser pulse waveform: We suggest changing the waveform according to the metal you want to cast. If you use an inferior waveform, the laser will lose 65% to 95% of its power, and your welding process will fall.

Which design should you pick for your welding machine?

The choice of design relies on:

Your product (small size or large?)
How do you desire to set up your workstation?

There are three types of configurations available for welding machines:

1. Automatic laser welding machine

These are the largest.
These are ideal for large-scale production.
They are robotized and automatically handle the position of the parts beneath the laser head.
Human intervention is reduced, which relieves the operator.
They boost productivity improvements.
The presence of an automatic loading and unloading station reduces downtime.
They are considerably more costly.