The principle of laser welding
Laser welding is a highly efficient and precise welding method that utilizes a high-energy density laser beam as a heat source. This technology was primarily used for welding thin-walled materials and low-speed welding in the 1970s, but it is now widely used for precision welding of micro and small parts. The principles of laser welding include thermal conduction welding and laser deep-penetration welding. In thermal conduction welding, the laser radiation heats the workpiece surface, and the heat is transmitted through thermal conduction to the interior, where the workpiece melts to form a molten pool by controlling the laser parameters. In contrast, laser deep-penetration welding uses a continuous laser beam to form a small hole structure and achieve high-speed welding.
Laser welding has many advantages, such as high precision, fast welding speed, and small heat influence, which is suitable for various types of materials, whether thin workpieces or thick ones. The process of laser welding includes material positioning, focusing the laser beam, melting the material, creating a weld, cooling and solidifying, and post-weld inspection. This welding method can ensure a strong, clean weld with minimal thermal distortion.
In practical applications of laser welding, different lasers are often used, such as YAG lasers and fiber lasers. YAG lasers generate laser light by shining a strong light on a YAG crystal and are suitable for laser welding, but their maintenance costs are high due to the need for cooling. Fiber lasers, on the other hand, use optical fibers to transmit laser light, which has a higher efficiency and lower maintenance costs, making them the mainstream in recent years.
In summary, laser welding technology plays an important role in modern manufacturing due to its high precision and efficiency.