Laser welding suits precision-welding processes
A
Laser Lines (Industrial and Medical) product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jul 31, 2009
Laser Lines has explained the key advantages of laser welding.
Nylon welding processes are split into two categories: low-energy-density, and high-energy-density processes.
Low-energy-density processes are those such as traditional arc and resistance welding technologies that rely on heat conduction through the material from a surface point to provide melting.
High-energy-density processes using lasers create a heating filament, known as the keyhole, which penetrates the depth and offers 2D line heating, causing a highly efficient heat transfer into the weld joint.
The key advantages of laser welding are a small heat-affected zone (HAZ), accurate control of heat input, and the ability to direct the beam precisely to the weld point.
This means reduced thermal distortion, the ability to weld close to heat-sensitive parts, and precision welding capabilities.
Major applications for sub-kilowatt lasers are in precision-welding and heat-sensitive welding processes, such as hermetic sealing, because the typical focused beam diameter of 100 microns localises temperature rises around the weld to fractions of an inch.
These stainless-steel coupons were welded using the Firestar f400 laser.
The 0.9mm (0.036in) thick stainless steel was fixtured with the ends tightly aligned to create a butt-type weld.
Because most laser-welding processes do not use filler wire, but instead rely on the molten material to create the weld joint, part fit-up for a laser weld must be free of any gaps or voids in order to achieve strong, consistent joints.
As with conventional welding processes, creating initial spot welds at intervals along the joint helps to prevent material separation during the actual weld pass.
Full weld penetration through the stainless steel was achieved using 400W of power at a weld speed of 1.9m/min (75in/min).
Beam delivery for this application was accomplished using a 63.5mm (2.5in) positive meniscus lens, which produced a 100-micron (0.004in) spot and 1.8mm (0.07in) depth of focus.
During welding, argon shield gas at a flow rate of 1.0 SCFM prevents the molten weld pool from reacting with the surrounding atmosphere.
At this material thickness and weld speed, there is no difference between argon and helium assist.
When welding thicker stainless material at higher speeds, helium shielding provides deeper weld penetration due to its higher ionisation potential and smaller weld plume.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact Laser Lines (Industrial and Medical)
Tel +44 1295 672500
Other Laser Lines (Industrial and Medical) stories
-
Laser Lines offers welding with reduced distortion
Laser Lines is offering laser welding with reduced thermal distortion compared with conventional welding, accurate control of heat input and the ability to direct the beam precisely to the weld point. -
Mobile laser welding workstations deliver 150W
Laser Lines (Industrial and Medical) has a new range of mobile laser welding workstations for mould tool repair and modifications. -
Work stations aimed at laser welding hand work
Available in four sizes and laser powers, a range of laser welding hand work stations are suitable from manufacturing intricate jewellery to the repair of 350Kg injection mould tools -
Nylon gears increase service life and reduce noise
Nylon gears from Laser Lines are commonly used in many automotive, electronic and medical applications, as well as in various industrial machines. -
Subcontractor invests in Promaster laser system
Laser Lines has completed its first UK installation of an Optec Promaster laser system at Laser Micromachining of St Asaph, North Wales.
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,532)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (545)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,133)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (478)
- Production line blowers and fans (74)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (978)
- Consultancy and Services (927)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,141)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (818)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (190)
- Control and Instrumentation (3)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (297)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (204)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,209)
- Plantwide control (1,354)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (577)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (393)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,449)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (2)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,292)
- Industrial Motors (502)
- Linear Drives and Motors (121)
- Precision Motors and Gears (434)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,096)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,324)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (587)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (723)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (652)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (377)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (722)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (430)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (829)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,385)
- 2D CAD software (203)
- 3D CAD software (1,199)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (583)
- Data, document management software (324)
- Electrical design software (167)
- Engineering Design Software (17)
- FEA and structural analysis software (377)
- File conversion software, data capture (358)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (339)
- Materials design and moulding design software (153)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (325)
- PLM and collaboration software (665)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (269)
- Publishing and documentation software (234)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (208)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (964)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,199)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (273)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (438)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (851)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (578)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (354)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (635)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (421)
- Engineering Training Courses (458)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (180)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (285)
- Health and Safety Legislation (403)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (115)
- Machine Building (4,630)
-
Materials and Processing (3,040)
- Materials and components (2,271)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (292)
- Rapid Prototyping (472)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,680)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (491)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (505)
- Data loggers (428)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (645)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (765)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (449)
- Materials testing equipment (439)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (159)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (522)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,276)
-
Powertrain Design (3,723)
- Bearings (986)
- Chains and belts (334)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,482)
- Hydraulic Components (475)
- Lubricants (441)
- Powertrain Design (4)
-
Sensors (7,313)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (450)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (649)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (293)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (158)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (539)
- Linear Position Sensors (417)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (732)
- Pressure sensors (642)
- Proximity Sensors (715)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (564)
- Sensors (12)
- Temperature sensors (623)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,416)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (2,057)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,730)
