Laser welding stainless steel, aluminum, steel, titanium,…

Laser welding advantages and limitations

Laser beam welding or shortly laser welding is a welding technique that uses laser light to melt material together. There are various welding processes (arc welding, resistance welding, ultrasonic welding,…), each with their own characteristics and each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Listed below: a brief overview of some characteristics of (micro) laser welding:

 

Advantages laser welding

  • No additional welding material
  • Possibility to weld microscopic small components
  • Fine welding seams, high precision
  • Small HAZ, Heat Affected Zone. Limited heat influence results in minimal deformation
  • Possibility to connect thin sheet materials (foil materials)
    • Also possible to weld foil material to thicker sheets
  • Production on CNC controlled machines which allow high production speeds
  • Deep and long welding seams
  • Laser welded connection can withstand high loads
  • Possible in both sheet and tube material

 

Limitations

  • Components need to be aligned perfectly
    • As no additional welding material is used, the components that need to be welded has to be aligned perfectly and lie airtight against each other before welding.
  • Laser welding is preferably used in an automated process
    • CNC controlled welding program. This makes laser welding less attractive for smaller series.
  • Start-up costs are higher compared with conventional welding techniques
    • As laser welding is a CNC controlled process, a CNC-program has to be made and a welding caliber (tooling) must be developed. This welding caliber ensures good alignment of the parts that need to be welded.
  • Investment in laser welding equipment is more expensive in comparison with traditional welding (MIG/TIG-welding)

 

Examples laser welding