Views: 52 Author: Leapion Publish Time: 08-12-2022 Origin: https://www.leapion.com/
The disadvantages of traditional MIG welding and TIG welding include: certain pre-welding preparations and settings are usually required; extremely high heat is generated during welding, resulting in a large heat-affected zone, materials distortion, and the welding quality results will be unsatisfactory; pre-weld and post-weld processing is required to increasing overall costs and reducing productivity. In addition, need to hire experienced welders, especially to weld complex joints, which further increases the costs. Automated laser welding technology can solve the above problems, but so far, it has not been an ideal solution for metal fabricators due to its high cost, large footprint, and high complexity.
LEAPION solved these challenges by launching revolutionary new products, the LW Laser Welder family of products that can provide all sizes manufacturers with .handheld laser welding functions for both novice and professional welders. The new products are equipped with 1kw, 1.5kw, and 2kw adjustable fiber laser light sources, which can provide 2.5kw peak power, and provide the processing power required for welding through an ergonomic hand-held welding torch. A library of process parameters is stored in the welder, optimized for common material and thickness combinations, and capable of welding dissimilar materials and materials with different electrical conductivities. By combining the beam oscillation (wobble) feature, the wobble width is up to 5 mm, with a high tolerance for workpiece assembly gaps, while creating beautiful welds. The volume is only 0.1m3, the weight is only 500kg, and the size is light and easy to carry. These features make this solution a revolutionary laser innovation, as well as a high-productivity industrial tool.
In the metal fabrication industry, the main challenge is the shortage of skilled workers, especially for the more demanding TIG welding, which often requires highly skilled operators. Laser welding machines overcome this problem, and almost anyone can start laser welding quickly with good results; the point is that the process needs to be developed and optimized first, and then integrated into the system. For example, after safety training, even assemblers with no welding experience can repeatedly weld stable, consistent lap joints because the system automatically adjusts the laser process for spot welding based on the selected materials and thickness.
Laser welders not only can weld conventional joints but also can weld more complex joints such as geometries, which can also help improve product design. The case shown in the figure below (Figure 1): 1.5 mm + 1.5 mm stainless steel shell are welded with LEAPION hand-held laser welding machine. The design takes advantage of laser welding capabilities, enabling operators to penetrate top material with low profile welds, significantly reducing pre-processing and post-processing efforts and significantly reducing the overall cost.
Application of LEAPITION 1.5 kW Air-Cooled Handheld Laser Welding and Cleaning System in Typical Metal Fabrication
figure 1. Stainless Steel Laser Welding: a) Has high-quality outer corner welds and spot welded hinges; b) Using preset spot welding parameters to spot welding the perforated plates to the shell to achieve 100% consistency.
Traditional arc welding processes use argon as a protective gas for stainless steel and aluminum to prevent oxidation of the weld pool. Laser welding uses nitrogen to provide better welding results. The welding results of using nitrogen and argon as protective gas are shown below (Figure 2).
LEAPION 1.5 kW
Application of LEAPITION 1.5 kW Air-Cooled Handheld Laser Welding and Cleaning System in Typical Metal Fabrication
figure 2. Using different protective gas to weld 2.0mm stainless steel: a) The X-ray results of the weld using argon gas show that multiple pores are generated near the heat-affected zone; b) The X-ray results of the weld using nitrogen gas show that the weld has no pore.
The evaluation results of the weld are shown below (Figure 3), including visual and metallographic examination, tensile test, and bending test according to AWS d17.1:2017 (Class A) - aerospace grade fusion welding specification.
Application of LEAPITION 1.5 kW Air-Cooled Handheld Laser Welding and Cleaning System in Typical Metal Fabrication
figure 3. 2.0 mm stainless steel aerospace quality weld results: a) Hand-held laser wire filler welded sample; b) Bending test results: no cracking at 180° bending angle; c) X-ray results of the weld show: the weld has no pore. ; d) Weld metallographic results show complete penetration without defects and inclusions.
LW hand-held laser welding and cleaning machine have the characteristics of small laser spot size and a high-frequency pulse control, which can provide cleaning function for surfaces that are discolored and contaminated before and after welding. This feature is critical for welding materials such as aluminum because oxide layers and contaminants can have a significant impact on porosity and weld quality. In the traditional process, operators use acetone or other chemicals to clean the joints before welding. Lasers can ablate all contaminants and remove oxide layers, for example, Figure 4 shows how laser cleaning improves the weld quality of aluminum 5052 and galvanized sheets.
Application of LEAPITION 1.5 kW Air-Cooled Handheld Laser Welding and Cleaning System in Typical Metal Fabrication
Figure 4. Weld quality is improved after laser cleaning: a) Aluminum 5052: X-ray results show that pores are reduced after laser cleaning before welding; b) Galvanized sheet: X-ray results show defects are reduced after laser cleaning before welding.
Changing from traditional welding methods to this hand-held laser system saves a lot of money for users. The handheld LW system is suitable for factory and workshop applications typical of the sheet metal industry and suitable for experienced operators as well as novices. This flexible operating fiber can transmit the infrared light energy required for processing on a small spot with a diameter about the same as a hair, generating less heat than traditional welding methods. Other advantages of the LW laser welding and cleaning machine include:
The welding speed is at least several times faster than TIG welding or MIG welding;
Compared with the traditional process, the deformation of the weld is reduced by one order of magnitude;
Integrated process parameter library and welding gun in line with an ergonomic design make the system easy to learn and operate. Both assemblers and novice welders can perform laser spot welding and achieve 100% consistent laser spot welding. Hiring novices enables manufacturers to reduce the burden of basic welding work, thereby significantly reducing labor costs and total costs.
LW series products are portable, easy to operate, economical, intelligent, safe, and reliable handheld laser welding systems, and have obtained EU CE certification, making them a safe and reliable production tool.
