Selecting the Right Welding Method

Material thickness is the key factor in choosing a laser welding method. Thin materials must be welded with a pulsed laser to avoid burn-through. Medium-thickness materials can be welded with a continuous laser, which balances efficiency and quality.In practice, the power, speed, and amount of defocusing must be adjusted according to the characteristics of the material being welded. The parameters must be tested and verified, and attention must be paid to equipment maintenance and real-time observation of the pool of molten metal.

The thickness of the product directly affects the welding method.

The results of laser welding are closely related to the thickness of the material.Just as a tailor has to choose the right needle and thread according to the thickness of the material, if you use the wrong welding method for materials that are too thin or too thick, the results will be poor, and in the worst case you could damage the equipment.In practice, the first step is to get a good handle on the details of the product in question. This means accurately measuring the thickness range of the materials in question, which is the basis for all subsequent decision making.

The key to success is precise control.

When the material is only 0.1-1 mm thick, it's like carving flowers on the shell of an egg. The slightest slip of the hand can burn right through.Pulse laser welding is the best choice for this kind of work, as the instantaneous energy release avoids the risk of deformation that is associated with continued heating.Remember to lower the peak power and shorten the working time, and if necessary, you can also use an auxiliary gas to help dissipate heat.

Thick boards: A balance of penetration and efficiency.

Processing medium-thickness materials between 1 and 5 mm is like steaming buns, where the heat must be carefully controlled.Continuous laser welding is the answer to this problem. By adjusting the diameter of the focal spot and the speed of welding, the depth of penetration can be guaranteed without over-consumption of energy.A small trick: Slightly increasing the amount of defocus will make the weld more even, especially when working with highly reflective metals.

Special situations require special treatment.

If you encounter a plate thicker than five millimeters or a joint of different materials, don't just blindly use the standard parameters.At this point it is worth trying to oscillate the welding head, or to build up the weld in several layers, building up the weld like one would build a structure out of blocks.In the actual operation of these projects, it was found that doing a few comparative tests in advance could save a lot of trouble later on.

This is the golden rule of equipment maintenance.

Even the best equipment is useless if it is not properly adjusted.Before starting up the microscope, you have to check the lens for dirt, because just like a camera, if the lens is dirty you won't get a good picture.When adjusting the settings, it's best to first use scrap material to test the weld, starting with low power and gradually increasing it. It's more useful to observe the state of the molten pool than to look at the parameter table.If the number of splashes suddenly increases, then it is probably time to adjust the focus.