SAN Fiber Laser Cutting Machine

Fiber Laser Welding Machine

Laser welding technology is a technology that has been used recently in most modern manufacturing industries. In traditional metal welding, arc welding is widely used. However, with the popularity of laser welding machines, many manufacturers have begun to abandon arc welding and turn to laser welding of metals. Is laser welding really better than arc welding? How effective is laser welding? This article analyzes the characteristics and capabilities of handheld fiber laser welding machines from multiple aspects to provide a reference for you to choose the best metal welding method.

Arc welding requires bonding materials or fillers to join two pieces of metal, while laser welding can form a direct metal-to-metal bond without the need for fillers. The way arc welding joins metals causes slag to form at the weld, which needs to be cleaned twice, otherwise it may pollute the application environment. Laser welding is much cleaner than traditional arc welding, with smooth and beautiful welds and no slag to clean, so it helps reduce labor costs and reduce the risk of contamination. These characteristics of laser welding make it particularly important in applications such as medical equipment and scientific instruments, and it will not cause harm to personnel or precision equipment due to falling debris.

Another feature of laser welding machines is that they can weld very thin metal sheets (down to 5mm) without damaging the metal, which is impossible with arc welding. In terms of welding speed, laser welding is much faster than arc welding, about 6-10 times. Therefore, more workpieces can be processed using laser welding machines than arc welding in the same amount of time. On the other hand, arc welding requires contact with the surface of the material and produces thermal shock, which is a slow process. Laser welding does not require contact with the surface, so the weld is more beautiful and basically does not require secondary processing before it can be put into the next production process.

Of course, like any mechanical equipment, laser welding machines have their limitations. On the one hand, it is not suitable for welding thick and heavy metal plates, such as large pipes or structural beams. Another limitation is that not every metal can be laser welded to other types of metal. Arc welding does not have this problem because it uses fillers to bond two pieces of metal together, rather than through the metal itself. In addition, there is a big difference in price between the two. The advantages of laser welding machines such as precision and efficiency determine that its price is more expensive than arc welding equipment. But this also means that the quality of the workpiece after laser welding is higher and the workshop productivity is higher.

Laser welding machines often start working with a handheld laser welding gun. Its ease of operation and precision make it more suitable for metal projects with higher quality requirements, such as medical equipment, stainless steel kitchenware, household appliances, bathroom products, etc. The controllability of laser welding means that it can be easily automated, and the welding variability is less, the quality is higher, and the overall production speed is faster.

At present, many laser welding machine manufacturers have developed three-in-one or four-in-one laser welding equipment, which integrates the three functions of laser welding, laser cleaning and laser cutting into one laser equipment. This laser welding and cleaning machine has richer functions, a wider range of applications, and reduces the cost of users to purchase other equipment.

If you are not sure which welding equipment to use before starting a welding project, you can communicate with SAN LASER online. We are happy to communicate with you which welding method is best and the advantages and disadvantages of each welding method.

Fields and industries where laser welding machines find regular use include:

·  Automotive Industry

·  Electronic Component Manufacturing Industry

·  Aerospace Industry

·  Medical Device Manufacturer

·  Machine Manufacturer

·  Jewelry Maker

Let us now break down each industry and see how these lasers are used in these fields.

Automotive Industry

In the automotive industry, laser welding machines are used for body spot welding and seam welding.

Specifically, it is often used in the following assembly processes.

·  Welding of vehicle frame and chassis (skeleton)

·  Assembling the door panel and bonnet

·  Precision welding of thin metal parts

·  Manufacture of vehicle exhaust systems (systems related to exhaust gas)

·  Assembling battery packs (ex. electric vehicles, etc.)

·  Welding of lightweight materials (ex. aluminum alloy, etc.)

·  Welding of composite materials (ex. fiber reinforced plastics, etc.)

·  Welding of small electronic parts such as airbag sensors

The main reason why laser welding machines are used in manufacturing processes in the automotive industry is because Car assembly welding sometimes requires precision work. Laser welding machines are capable of extremely fast and precise welding, and are compatible with automation, contributing to efficiency and quality improvement in automobile manufacturing.

Electronic Component Manufacturing Industry

In the electronic component manufacturing industry, laser welding machines are used for spot welding of fine wires and pins.

In particular, it is often used in the following manufacturing processes.

·  Welding minute parts on the board

·  Bonding of electronic chip and substrate

·  Assembling sensor parts

·  Precision connector manufacturing

·  Assembling the battery pack

·  Welding small parts inside smartphones

·  Assembling the camera module

·  Welding of small electronic components for medical equipment

Electronic component manufacturing requires precision processing. Laser welding machines can meet these demands. It is also possible to handle different materials and minimize heat damage to parts. These characteristics of laser welding machines contribute to consistent quality maintenance of electronic components.

Aerospace Industry

In the aerospace industry, laser welders are used to manufacture parts that require high strength to withstand safety standards.

It may be used in the following manufacturing processes:

·  Assembling structural parts such as aircraft frames

·  Manufacture of turbine blades

·  Precision welding of lightweight alloy materials

·  Assembling engine components

·  Welding of high strength aluminum alloy

·  Manufacture of aerodynamic components

·  Assembling small satellite parts

·  Welding of electronic systems inside aircraft

Parts and products needed in the aerospace industry require durable quality and light weight. Laser welding machines are capable of high-strength welding and can handle a wide variety of materials, making them more efficient and lightweight. You can also do a combination.

Medical Device Manufacturer

Medical device manufacturers use laser welding machines to assemble and repair precision medical equipment.

For example, it is often used in the following manufacturing processes and also finds use in reparing different electrical components.

·  Precision assembly of surgical instruments

·  Production and repair of implants (teeth and bones)

·  Assembling small parts for medical electronics

·  Manufacturing and repair of probes and sensors

·  Advanced medical device housing manufacturing

·  Joining metal parts of medical devices

When manufacturing medical devices, extremely high safety and quality standards must be met, and one manufacturing tool that can meet these standards is a laser welder.

Machine Manufacturer

Laser welding machines are also widely used in the manufacture of mechanical products other than the automobiles and medical devices mentioned above. Machine manufacturers use laser welding machines to assemble precision machine parts.

For example, it is often used in the following situations:

·  Assembling large structures

·  Manufacture of metal parts that require high-precision welding

·  Welding parts with complex shapes

·  Use of lightweight and durable materials

·  Use for seamless joining of metal parts

·  High quality surface treatment

·  Use in automated production lines

It is commonly used in the automotive and medical device industries, but it can also be used for assembly of large structures and work that requires high-quality surface treatment. >It is characterized by being often used.

Jewelry Maker

Jewelry manufacturers use laser welders to join and repair delicate metal parts.

·  Assembling delicate jewelry

·  Precise joining of different metals

·  Jewelry Restoration and Repair

·  Jewelry installation

·  Size adjustment (ring size, etc.)

·  Custom design production

Laser welding machines are widely used by jewelry manufacturers because they require delicate and precise welding capabilities. The jewelry making process involves assembling small parts and attempting to realize complex designs.

Another reason for its use is that the range of thermal effects is small, so there is less risk of damaging expensive materials such as gold and platinum. Laser welding machines can perform welding at a level that satisfies the above conditions, so they are used in a wide range of applications in the jewelry industry.

Laser marking is the process of creating marks using lasers by cutting the surface of the workpiece at a shallow depth or by inducing chemical changes through burning, melting, ablation, polymerization, and so forth. Like laser cutting and laser drilling, laser marking can be a non-contact process. Issues of tool wear and unwanted work hardening on the surface of the workpiece are eliminated. Moreover, laser marking does not use inks, an advantage over traditional printing. Different types of laser marking processes are summarized below.

Surface Removal

This process involves removing specific regions of the coating layer previously applied on the surface of the workpiece. The workpiece has a different contrast from the coating which makes the regions removed significantly visible. Materials for this type of laser marking are special films and coated metals.

Engraving

This is a laser marking where the surface is cut at the desired depth. The cut is usually made by the laser vaporization process. The main advantage of this method is that it can be done at high speeds.

Thermal Bonding

This is done by fusing additional pigmented materials such as glass powders or crushed metal oxides on the surface of the workpiece. The heat applied by the laser fuses the materials.

Annealing

This process involves heating specific regions using a laser. The heat applied by the laser causes the metal to oxidize producing different colors such as black, yellow, red, and green.

Carbonizing

In this process, plastic bonds between polymers are broken, releasing hydrogen and oxygen and producing a darker color. This process is done on plastics and organic materials.

Foaming

This is usually done on plastics where the color pigments and carbon are destroyed and vaporized resulting in foaming. The foaming process is done on dark-colored materials that need to have lighter colored markings.

Staining

This process induces chemical reactions on the surface of the workpiece where the products of the reaction have different colors.

The most important point in the above structure is the type of laser light. Laser welding machines can be roughly divided into the following five types.

· CO2 Laser

· YAG Laser

· Fiber Laser

· Disc Laser

· Semiconductor Laser

Let’s break this down and explain the 5 different types of lasers.

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Laser

The CO2 laser stands out as a prominent example of gas laser welding. Its defining characteristic lies in utilizing carbon dioxide as a medium to amplify light. In particular, it is possible to perform uniform and high-strength welding when welding materials with a thickness of 10 mm or more or over large areas of several tens of square centimeters or more. It is also possible to weld resin, etc., so it is used in a wide range of fields.

Another feature is that capable of stable continuous operation for long periods of time, allowing continuous work to be carried out on large-scale production lines. CO2 lasers are mainly used in the automotive industry but also play a pivotal role in advancing manufacturing processes.

YAG Laser

The YAG laser is a great example of solid-state laser welding technology. It uses a crystal with a garnet structure as its medium. Due to its characteristics as a pulsed laser, it repeats blinking at small time intervals. Because the wavelength is shorter than that of CO2 laser, energy absorption rate by metal is high and welding is easy.

In addition, it has excellent coherency and laser spreading performance, and is easy to use as it has excellent laser light collection and diffusion. These qualities make them well-suited for welding precision components and delicate tasks.. YAG lasers are mainly used in medical device manufacturing.

Fiber Laser

A fiber laser is a type of solid-state laser that uses an optical fiber as its medium. Its remarkable efficiency comes from confining light within a slender fiber and then amplifying it, enabling exceptionally clean welding.

With a short wavelength and the capability to narrow down the spot, fiber lasers boast high energy density, facilitating deep penetration into highly reflective materials like aluminum and copper. It is also used for welding dissimilar metals together.

Another attractive feature is the ease of automation, such as non-contact, high-speed welding and the ability to automatically set the beam focus. In addition, there tends to be a wide range of products, including handy (hand) torch types and types with cutting, burn removal, and cleaner functions. Fiber lasers are widely used in general industrial products.

Disc Laser

A disk laser is a type of solid-state laser. A crystal doped with rare earth elements such as ytterbium is used as the medium.

These lasers are designed with the aim of overcoming a common issue found in solid-state lasers: a decline in welding accuracy. Traditional solid-state lasers encounter a challenge where heat generated during operation causes uneven temperature distribution in the laser crystal, leading to a thermal lens effect. This effect occurs because the crystal’s refractive index behaves akin to that of a lens, resulting in reduced laser focusing power.

Disk lasers solve this problem by making the laser crystal into a thin disk shape and attaching a heat sink to the back, resulting in higher welding accuracy than previous solid-state lasers. Disk lasers are commonly used in the aerospace industry.

Semiconductor Laser

A semiconductor laser is a type of solid-state laser. Mainly semiconductor materials are used as the medium. It’s also known by other terms such as diode laser or laser diode.

What sets semiconductor lasers apart is their unique heat source: the laser light generated when an electric current passes through the semiconductor. Since it does not use a lamp as the excitation (supply) source, it can be used even in limited spaces.

It is also suitable for very detailed welding work. Semiconductor lasers are commonly used in electronics manufacturing.