Machines have upgraded and businesses are now moving towards advanced technologies. Unlike traditional machines like TIG and MIG welding, industries are now moving to laser welding. This is not just because it’s some new kind of new technology or technology, but because laser welding is accurate, easy to operate, and offers many other features. Not only this, but a laser welding machine does not allow any mishaps or mishaps to take place, unlike the traditional welding methods. So, today we will walk through the part of the laser welding process and will learn about it in more detail. 

What is Laser Welding?

The best way to understand laser welding is by thinking of a magnifying glass, a paper, and the sun. When you focus on a paper with a magnifying glass under the sun, it will heat the paper and will burn it after a period of time. In the same form, if you focus enough energy on the metal surface, it will melt the metal. Laser welding is a process through which materials like plastic, metal, or thermoplastics are joined together with the help of a sharp laser beam. The beam of laser melts the material with heat and it can also be used on very big to very small areas and sizes with accuracy and full welding control. Talking about the history of laser welding, it was developed in the early 1960s, and a decade later, automated laser welding machines were invented to ease the whole process and make the welding task easier. This is an invention which gives pinpoint accuracy without any errors. 

There are mainly five types of welding known as keyhole welding, laser brazing, hybrid welding, percussion welding, and conduction welding. All the five types of welding method work differently, with different laser beam processes and features. 

Conduction Welding 

In the case of conduction welding, it is a soft process where the beams of the laser melts the metal or the material slowly. During the whole process of conduction welding, the metal leaves its solid form, and goes to liquid one, but never goes in gaseous state. 

Keyhole Welding

In the case of keyhole welding, it is a fast and aggressive process. This process not only melts the metal but it also vaporizes the metal. The laser beams that come out in the keyhole welding digs deeper into the metal and causes marks. This is an ideal welding process for products with high-volume because it is faster and can lead to a higher heat affected zone.

Laser Brazing

In the case of laser brazing technique, it involves an all at once laser beam to heat a workpiece. This process causes a strong bond between the material like silver and copper. Apart from this, low-temperature brazing also takes place which makes the welded material natural.

Hybrid Welding

In the case of hybrid welding, laser beam joins welding with other methods like gas metal arc welding or gas tungsten arc welding. This type of welding enhances the quality of welding and efficiency to deliver a combined advantage of both the processes. 

Percussion Welding

In the case of percussion welding, welding is done at a high frequency to fuse or melt the welded material easily and quickly. This method is excellent for materials with varying thermal and melting points properties. In addition, this welding type is perfect for joining different materials like steel and aluminum. 

How Does Laser Welding Machine Work

To join two materials, whether different or the same, the beam of light is being used in the laser welding. In the whole process, the powerful laser beam melts the material under it and fuses it into a joint. The high power laser beam delivers massive energy levels which melts the material and creates a strong bond. The beams of the laser welding machine gradually absorb the energy and heat up the workpiece to its melting point, which then melts the focused region and creates a strong bond between the weld part. However, this also depends upon the desired weld quality and the material which has been welded. Laser welding through a machine is a process that can be done in both continue and paused mode. 

Industries Where Laser Welding Machine is Used

Laser welding machines are a versatile tool and they are being used in a range of applications. This is used in electronic manufacturing, aerospace industry, pipeline industry, medical device fabrication, battery industry, hardware manufacturing, jewelry industry, home building material industry, automobile manufacturing, ship building, tool construction, etc. Apart from this, laser beams can be used on materials like metals which involve aluminum, brass, bronze, carbon steel, stainless steel, high-strength alloy, etc. It can also be used on plastics like acrylic (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Moreover, it can be used on composites like carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and glass-fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP).  

Advantages of Laser Welding

Laser welding comes with multiple advantages, and one of the biggest advantages is that the modern laser welding has made the welding process super easier and smoother for the industries. This process has several advantages based on different applications and industries. Some of these advantages are:

High Speed

Unlike traditional machines, laser welding machines can weld the material up to 5 times faster, with full accuracy. This allows the businesses to complete their operations faster as it takes shorter processing time. This feature also increases the overall productivity of the business. 

Excellent Quality

Advanced laser welding machines result in better and high-quality control over the process. During the welding process, the cooling and heating up of material helps in preventing the issues related to quality.

Less Heat

Laser welding process uses less heat in comparison to the traditional process. A highly concentrated laser beam is focused on a small area which affects the heat-affected area and makes it smaller. This whole operational process requires low-temperature input. 

Reliability

Due to laser welding’s non-contact, force-free, and wear-free attributes, this advanced technique offers high reliability. Not only this, but the whole process offers high strength because the welding is performed deeply. 

Material Compatibility

Laser welding machines are compatible with several materials, however it is based on the type of laser beam they use. The laser driven by the laser welding machine perfectly fits with many rubbers, plastics, metals, and composite materials. Not only this, but lasers can join dissimilar materials together. However, as per experts, you can use different lasers on different materials to get the finest result.

As every coin has two sides, in the similar way, laser welding has some limitations as well. These limitations are high initial cost, requirement of skills to operate the machine, and incompatible with irregular workspace, but these issues can be eliminated. When it comes to high initial cost, remember that this is a one time investment and it is one time investment as after purchasing the finest laser welding machine, you don’t have to spend any money on its repair and other lookouts. When it comes to skilled labour, it is obvious that without proper skills, no one can operate any machine. So, either hire skilled labour or train them as per the machine. Lastly, no machine can work to its fullest in an irregular or incompatible workspace. So, while using this machine, keep in mind to place it in an area that is stable and proper in shape. 

We hope all your doubts related to laser welding and its machines are clear now. If you own a business and are looking to invest in laser welding operations, go for CES Laser Machine Private Limited, as they are a well-known laser welding machine manufacturer in Ahmedabad, and PAN India.