View suppliers with this capability
Welding and Joining Processes - Laser Welding
Login to get an online quote for laser welding or conduct an advanced search of our network.
Laser welding offers a variety of benefits over other types of welding: deep penetration of precise narrow welds, small heat affected zone, low heat input, fast weld times, minimum part distortion, no secondary processing, no generation of debris and contamination and high repeatability. Many metals can be welded including stainless steel, nitinol, carbon steel, titanium, aluminium and dissimilar metals.
When defining a weld joint we refer to both the joint type and the weld type. There are two joint types: butt and lap. A butt joint is where two materials are to be welded at the seam that forms where the two materials are joined together. A lap joint is where two materials are to be joined by welding through one into the other. There are also two weld types: seam and spot. Seam welding is continuous while spot welding is intermittent. Glass sealing and glass-to-metal sealing is also accomplished with Nd:YAG lasers. Plastic welding with Nd:YAG lasers has been in development for some time and is now commercially viable with certain plastics.
Due to the outstanding control over the weld, the repeatability, and small size of heat affected zone the laser welding process has many, many applications. Some typical applications are micro-welds smaller than 0.1mm on small components, seam sealing of titanium medical device enclosures, welding of electrical joints and joining of dissimilar metals. Laser welding equipment also has application on more of a macro scale in general steel and aluminium fabrication. The welding process lends itself to automated processing using dedicated machines and robots. In recent times, hand held, fibre optic laser welders have also been introduced.
Suppliers With This Capability