Here a laser beam is being delivered via a flexible fibre to weld thin piping. (Image: Shutterstock/sspopov)
A brief introduction to laser welding, the technologies involved, and the advantages it offers over other joining methods
Handheld laser welding offers: low running costs; minimal set up requirements; ease of use; highly efficient, fast and flexible processing in spatially challenging environments; minimal consumables and post-processing requirements; and most importantly, high-quality welds of both similar and dissimilar materials of different types and thicknesses.
The LightWELD XR system delivers laser welding and cleaning in one handheld system
IPG has major production and R&D facilities as well as close to 2,000 employees located in Russia
The laser technology will be used to produce tubular products for the oil and gas industry. (Image: Shutterstock/bht2000)
Laser welding, cladding and hardening will be used in the manufacture and repair of pipe manufacturing parts, tools and accessories
Dr Valentin Gapontsev has been IPG’s chairman since the company’s founding and was its CEO until April 2021 (Image: IPG Photonics)
Gapontsev, 82, founded IRE-Polyus, IPG’s predecessor, in 1990. He has been IPG’s chairman since the company’s founding and was its CEO until April 2021
(Image: aapsky/Shutterstock)
Greg Blackman on how titanium laser welding can be used to replace rivet joints in aircraft
(Image: Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock)
Greg Blackman asks experts how fibre lasers developed between 2010 to 2020, as well as what advancements the future may hold for the technology
The LightWELD product line enables fabricators to benefit from the greater flexibility, precision and ease of use enabled by laser-based solutions over traditional welding products
The YLR-U series are high performance industrial-grade kilowatt-class continuous wave (CW) ytterbium fiber lasers
Florent Husson, of Alphanov, describes how large parts can be polished using robotics and high-power lasers
Integrators such as GFH Micromachining, 3D Micromac, and LLT Applikation develop complete laser micromachining systems featuring all the laser, motion control, software, and safety components required to realise high-quality applications (Image: GFH Micromachining)
Looking at the market trends integrators are having to respond to when developing new systems
Jan Keuntje and Peter Jäschke have developed a macroscopic finite element model to help establish laser cutting in serial CFRP component production
Jan Keuntje and Peter Jäschke, of the Laser Zentrum Hannover, have developed a macroscopic finite element model to help establish laser cutting in serial CFRP component production
Laser technologies will have to continue to evolve to keep up with the need of the electronics industry. (Image: Shutterstock/raigvi)
Electronics manufacturing presents both significant opportunities and formidable challenges for developers of laser materials processing technologies
Handheld laser cleaning devices are a popular choice in industry for delivering the beam to the workpiece. (Image: Shutterstock/Surasak_Photo)
The basics of laser cleaning, the systems involved, and the benifts it offers over conventional cleaning techniques
Paul Butler-Smith and Tian Long See demonstrate how the surface friction of stainless-steel medical tools can be reduced using pulsed and ultrashort-pulsed laser processing
Paul Butler-Smith and Tian Long See, of the MTC, demonstrate how the surface friction of stainless-steel medical tools can be reduced using pulsed and ultrashort-pulsed laser processing
Dr Michael Jarwitz, of the University of Stuttgart’s IFSW, highlights the need for a single tool capable of highly versatile and adaptable manufacturing
Dr Michael Jarwitz, of the University of Stuttgart’s IFSW, highlights the need for a single tool capable of highly versatile and adaptable manufacturing
