Laser welding

    Laser welding This is achieved by cutting with a powerful laser, known as a death ray, produced by the energy "play" of mirrors and other devices that enhance its effect. This type of welding is very popular in various industrial applications and enjoys great success for its high-quality results.

 Laser welding dates back to the 1960s, when three scientists managed to concentrate energy into a single unit and direct it toward the desired object to create a strong bond. The essence of the process laser welding Involves using a beam of light to make it powerful enough to cut steel. Mirrors are used to achieve this, as they always reflect. A laser device contains several mirrors. As the beam passes through the atmosphere, light particles—photons—are knocked out of it and gradually lose power. Therefore, inside the laser setup, ordinary air is replaced with a device that amplifies the laser medium. As the beam passes through this amplifying medium, photons are amplified rather than lost, significantly increasing the beam's power, which continues to increase.

The laser system also contains a chamber called a resonator, designed for reflection. In the resonator, the beam reflects more than 500 million times per second, and the speed reaches 300 million meters per second. The laser beam must then be focused and directed at the part. The laser is focused into a beam with a smaller cross-section. Upon hitting the part, the beam intensely heats and then melts the metal in the desired location, thus achieving laser welding of metal. This type of welding is performed at laser radiation power densities equal to E=10⁶-10⁷W/cm²This makes it possible to weld materials with thicknesses ranging from a few micrometers to tens of millimeters.

Laser welding of metal It can be performed in any spatial position, using partial or full penetration, pulsed or continuous beam. When welding very thin materials, from 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, the laser beam is focused. When pulsed beam is used, the weld appears as spot welds. Pulsed beams produce a continuous, even weld. Solid-state lasers perform seam welding at a speed of 5 mm/sec, with a pulse frequency of approximately 20 Hz.

Laser welding machine

Included in the package laser welding installations The laser, gas shielding for the product, focusing system, beam movement, and product movement are included. Such systems can be gas- or solid-state. Gas-based systems contain a CO2 mixture as the working fluid._2,N_2,He. Solid-state ones have a ruby base, glass with an additive of neodymium ions. Some models laser welding installations: LRS-100-500, HTS-200-500, TL-5M, LGT-2.0.1, LTA-2, and others. In recent years, even more advanced laser units have emerged, capable of generating a more powerful laser beam with more powerful photons and more accurately focusing and transferring it to the workpiece. Their operating speed is much higher. These units perform semi-automatic welding in pulsed mode. There are also units that operate in automatic mode.

Advantages of laser welding:

• it is possible to weld very precise structures;
• no need for mechanical processing after welding;
• excellent performance, high speed;
• automated or semi-automated process.

Flaws:

• high cost of such an installation.