Home / News / Company News / What Is The Difference between The Welding Effect of Air-cooled Handheld Laser Welding Machine on Different Materials? How To Choose The Right Welding Parameters?

What Is The Difference between The Welding Effect of Air-cooled Handheld Laser Welding Machine on Different Materials? How To Choose The Right Welding Parameters?

Views: 91     Author: Site Editor     Publish Time: 2025-05-05      Origin: Site

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Table of Contents


1. Introduction

2. Air-cooled Handheld Laser Welder Overview

3. Differences in Welding Results for Different Materials

4. Select Appropriate Welding Parameters

5. Summarize


Introduction

With the rapid development of laser welding technology, air-cooled handheld laser welding machines have become increasingly common in the field of metal processing due to their flexibility and high efficiency. This equipment can not only increase welding speed, but also significantly improve welding quality, making it widely used in many industries such as manufacturing, automotive industry, and maintenance.


However, the physical and chemical properties of different materials vary, so their welding effects are affected by many factors. Correctly understanding these differences and selecting appropriate welding parameters are the key to ensuring welding quality. This article will deeply explore the welding effects of air-cooled handheld laser welding machines on different materials such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, carbon steel and copper, and provide practical guidance on selecting appropriate welding parameters to help users achieve the best welding results in actual applications. Through the analysis of different materials and the suggestions for parameter selection, it aims to improve the efficiency and reliability of welding operations and provide users with valuable reference.

Air-cooled Handheld Laser Welder Overview

Air-cooled handheld laser welder is a portable welding device that uses laser as the main welding energy source. This equipment is widely used in metal processing, manufacturing, maintenance and other fields, and is popular for its efficient and precise welding effect.


1. Working principle


The basic working principle of the air-cooled handheld laser welding machine is to emit a high-power laser beam through a laser and focus it on the surface of the welding material. When the laser beam is irradiated on the metal surface, the metal absorbs the laser energy and quickly heats up to reach a molten state. In this process, the intensity and focal position of the laser beam can be precisely controlled to achieve the adjustment of the weld width, depth and welding speed. Once the metal melts under the action of the laser, the control of the cooling rate will affect the welding quality and ultimately form a strong joint.


Air-cooled Laser Welding Machine features-Suntop

2. Features


● High efficiency: The air-cooled handheld laser welding machine can complete the welding operation in a short time, significantly improving production efficiency.

● Precise control: The laser welding machine can achieve fine adjustment of welding parameters such as laser power, welding speed and focal length to meet various welding needs.

● Strong adaptability: Applicable to a variety of metal materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, copper and alloy materials, with a wide range of applications.

● High welding quality: The welds formed by laser welding are usually small and neat, and the welding heat-affected zone is small, avoiding deformation and damage of the material.

● Portability: The handheld design makes the air-cooled laser welding machine more flexible in operation and suitable for welding needs in different environments.


3. Advantages of air-cooling system


Compared with the water-cooling system, the air-cooling system has the following advantages:

● Simplified maintenance: The air-cooling system does not require a complex water system and related maintenance, which reduces the possibility of equipment failure and facilitates maintenance by operators.

● Cost-effectiveness: The installation and operation costs are low, and there is no need to equip water pumps, coolers and pipes, which reduces the overall investment cost.

● Flexibility: The air-cooling system makes the equipment easier to move and operate, especially suitable for on-site welding and work in small spaces.

● Instant cooling: The air-cooling system can provide instant cooling effect, which provides a guarantee for the continuous operation of the equipment and avoids performance degradation caused by overheating.


Air-cooled handheld laser welding machines have become one of the preferred welding equipment for modern metal processing due to their high efficiency, flexibility and economy. With the continuous advancement of laser technology, its application areas will be more extensive in the future. Click here for more information

Differences in Welding Results for Different Materials

When welding different types of metal materials, due to their different physical and chemical properties, there are significant differences in welding effects, difficulty, defects, etc. The following will discuss the welding effects of aluminum alloys, stainless steel, carbon steel, copper and other metal materials.


1. Aluminum alloy


Welding difficulty and metal fluidity

Aluminum alloys are widely used in many fields due to their good weight ratio and formability. However, aluminum alloys are difficult to weld. The main reasons include:

Oxide film: A dense oxide film is often formed on the surface of aluminum alloys, which needs to be treated in advance to ensure welding quality.

High thermal conductivity: Aluminum has good thermal conductivity, which causes heat to dissipate quickly, resulting in instability of the molten pool during welding.

Fluidity: Aluminum alloys have good fluidity, and excessive heat will cause the molten pool to flow, resulting in weld defects.


Common defects and solutions

Porosity: caused by oxidation of the molten pool surface or hydrogen release. The solution is to preheat the workpiece and control the source of hydrogen.

Cracks: High silicon aluminum alloys are more prone to cracks, and the welding speed and preheating temperature must be controlled to reduce stress.

Welding discontinuity: Due to the poor fluidity of metal, it can be solved by using appropriate welding process and speed.


2. Stainless steel


Welding adaptability and strength

Stainless steel welding is relatively easy, especially common stainless steel types such as 304 and 316, which have strong welding adaptability:

High strength: High strength after welding, and the weld and the parent material have good bonding.

Good corrosion resistance: After welding, the use of appropriate post-treatment can improve the corrosion resistance of the weld.


Recommendations for post-welding treatment

Heat treatment: Annealing can be performed after welding to eliminate the stress caused by welding.

Polishing/passivation: To prevent surface corrosion, polishing or chemical passivation can be performed to improve corrosion resistance.


3. Carbon steel


Welding speed and heat-affected zone

Carbon steel is widely used because of its good thermal conductivity and process adaptability. However, the control of its welding speed and heat-affected zone is particularly important:

Welding speed: Too slow welding speed will increase the heat-affected zone and cause material deformation.

Heat-affected zone: A large heat-affected zone may cause changes in material properties, such as increased brittleness or thermal cracks.


Comparison of advantages and disadvantages

Advantages: Simple welding, suitable for a variety of welding processes, and relatively low cost.

Disadvantages: Surface corrosion treatment should be paid attention to after welding to avoid rust.


4. Copper and other metals


Effect on laser absorption

Copper is a highly conductive metal. Its laser absorption is weak during welding and it only absorbs lasers of specific wavelengths well. Its welding characteristics include:

Low absorption rate: Usually higher power and suitable wavelength (such as near-infrared band) are required to improve the efficiency of light energy use.

High melting point: The melting point of copper is higher than that of most metals, so the laser power should be appropriately increased during welding.


Special considerations for welding parameters

Laser power: Relatively large power is required to ensure sufficient melting depth and width.

Welding speed: The welding speed should be controlled to achieve better molten pool stability while avoiding overheating.

Focus position: The focus needs to be adjusted to the metal surface to increase the concentration of the laser and the accumulation of heat.


Different materials present different characteristics and challenges during laser welding. Understanding the differences in welding effects of various materials and coping strategies is crucial to improving welding quality. By properly selecting welding parameters and processes, the welding effect can be improved, the defect rate can be reduced, and high-quality welded joints can be achieved. Click here for more information 

Select Appropriate Welding Parameters

1. Power setting


Welding power directly affects the heat input during welding. Appropriate power setting is essential for welding different metal materials:

Single side weld thickness

Maximum   melting

1500W

2000W

3000W

Stainless   steel (mm)

0.5-4

0.5-5/6

0.5-7

Mild   steel (mm)

0.5-4

0.5-6

0.5-7/8

Aluminum   (mm)

0.5-3

0.5-4

0.5-6

Brass/copper   (mm)

0.5-1.5

0.5-2

0.5-3

Galvanized   sheet (mm)

0.5-3

0.5-4

0.5-6

Iron   (mm)

0.5-4

0.5-6

0.5-7/8

Remark: Double weld thickness can be achieved if the material is welded from both sides in two times


air-cooled handheld laser welding machine sample-Suntop

2. Welding speed


How to affect weld quality

Welding speed is an important parameter affecting welding quality:

● Too fast welding speed: may cause incomplete weld or insufficient penetration, affecting welding strength and overall structure.

● Too slow welding speed: may cause overheating, causing the heat-affected zone to expand, resulting in deformation, cracks and other defects.

A suitable welding speed can ensure good plasticity of the molten pool and smooth appearance of the weld. It is generally recommended to conduct trial welding at the beginning to determine the optimal speed.


3. Focal length and spot diameter


Influence on welding depth and width

Focal length and spot diameter are important parameters affecting laser welding effect:

● Focal length: refers to the distance between the focal point of the laser beam and the laser head. A focal length that is too long will cause the beam to disperse, the molten pool temperature to decrease, and the welding depth and strength to decrease; a focal length that is too short may cause uneven welding.

● Spot diameter: The control of the spot diameter directly affects the depth and width of the weld. A smaller spot diameter enables deeper welding, but may result in a higher heat-affected zone, causing overheating of the material; a larger spot diameter increases the width of the weld, but may not provide enough penetration.

The optimal focal length and spot diameter selection needs to be adjusted according to the material, thickness and welding requirements.


4. Gas protection and effects


During the laser welding process, the role of gas protection is crucial. It is mainly used to prevent the contact between the molten pool and the gas in the surrounding environment (such as oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, etc.) during the welding process, thereby avoiding oxidation and other harmful reactions. The following are the types of commonly used laser welding shielding gases and their effects:


Argon

Purpose: Argon is the most commonly used shielding gas in laser welding.

Effect:

Good inertness: Argon is an inert gas that can effectively prevent oxidation and unnecessary chemical reactions during welding.

Weld quality: It helps to improve the mechanical properties and surface quality of the welded joint and reduce the formation of pores and inclusions.


Nitrogen

Purpose: Nitrogen is often used to weld specific materials such as stainless steel and aluminum alloys.

Effect:

Prevent oxidation: Nitrogen can prevent metal oxidation at high temperatures and improve the strength and corrosion resistance of the weld.

Promote alloying: In some welding applications, nitrogen can participate in the alloying process of the material and improve the strength of some stainless steels.


CO2

Purpose: Mainly used for welding carbon steel and certain alloys.

Effects:

Cost-effectiveness: CO2 is relatively economical and can provide adequate protection for the welding process in some cases.

Weld seam formation: In carbon steel welding, CO2 can promote weld seam formation and improve the permeability of the weld.


Helium

Purpose: Commonly used in high-energy laser welding, especially for welding aluminum and other light metals.

Effects:

High thermal conductivity: Helium has good thermal conductivity and can increase the heat of the molten pool, which helps to improve the depth and penetration of welding.

Inert gas: Like argon, it can also effectively prevent oxidation.


Mixed gas

Purpose: Depending on different materials and welding requirements, a mixture of argon and helium or nitrogen and argon can be used.

Effects:

Combined advantages: Mixed gas can combine the advantages of each gas to optimize the welding effect, for example, it can increase the heat of welding and improve the appearance of the weld.


In the laser welding process, the selection of suitable shielding gas and its combination has an important influence on the welding quality. The use of different gases is not only related to the material and welding purpose, but also directly affects the stability of the molten pool, the quality of the weld and the final mechanical properties during the welding process. Therefore, the reasonable selection and optimization of gas protection can significantly improve the welding effect and work efficiency. Click here for more information

Summarize

Air-cooled handheld laser welding machines have significant application potential on different materials and are widely used in a variety of materials such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, carbon steel, copper and its alloys. Its portability and efficiency have made this technology gradually recognized in the automotive manufacturing, aerospace, metal processing, electronic equipment and construction industries. The air-cooled design not only reduces the maintenance cost of the equipment, but also enhances its applicability in complex environments, making the welding process more flexible and efficient. In addition, the precision and small heat-affected zone of laser welding technology make it particularly prominent in high-demand welding occasions, and can meet the growing demand for welding quality and efficiency in modern industries.


Looking to the future, the technical development of air-cooled handheld laser welding machines still has broad prospects. With the continuous advancement of laser technology and materials science, new laser welding equipment will be expected to achieve higher power density and deeper penetration, further expanding its application in welding of highly reflective materials and complex structures. In addition, the integration of intelligent technology will make real-time monitoring and data analysis of welding processes possible, and improve the controllability and stability of the welding process. To this end, it is recommended to increase R&D investment and promote the combination of laser welding technology with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to promote continuous innovation and efficiency improvement in the industry. At the same time, carrying out training for operators and improving their skills is also an important guarantee for achieving technological development.

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