Laser Welding

Laser Welding joins ferrous metals, stainless steel, precious metals, and alloys, to themselves or each other. Features include:
• 5-axis laser control
• Extreme precision and minimal distortion
• Low heat input
• Excellent appearance
• No fillers or fluxes required
• Fast, cost-effective production

Laser Welding Facts

Laser Welding Advantages
• Processes high alloy metals without difficulty
• Can be used in open air
• Can be transmitted over long distances with a minimal loss of power
• Narrow heat affected zone
• Low total thermal input
• Welds dissimilar metals
• No filler metals necessary
• No secondary finishing necessary
• Extremely accurate
• Welds high alloy metals without difficulty

Laser Welding Limitations
• Rapid cooling rate may cause cracking in certain metals
• High capital cost
• Optical surfaces easily damaged
• High maintenance cost

How A Laser Machine Works
The LASER, an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation," is a device that produces a concentrated, coherent beam of light by stimulating molecular or electronic transitions to lower energy levels, causing the emission of photons.

	Laser Diagram

The solid-state laser utilizes a single crystal rod with parallel, flat ends. Both ends have reflective surfaces. A high-intensity light source, or flash tube surrounds the crystal. When power is supplied by the PFN (pulse-forming network), an intense pulse of light (photons) will be released through one end of the crystal rod. The light being released is of single wavelength, thus allowing for minimum divergence.

One hundred percent of the laser light will be reflected off the rear mirror and thirty to fifty percent will pass through the front mirror, continuing on through the shutter assembly to the angled mirror and down through the focusing lens to the workpiece.

The laser light beam is coherent and has a high energy content. When focused on a surface, laser light creates the heat used for welding, cutting and drilling.

The workpiece and the laser beam are manipulated by means of robotics. The laser beam can be adjusted to varying sizes and heat intensity from .004 to .040 inches. The smaller size is used for cutting, drilling and welding and the larger, for heat treating.