Laser welding is an advanced fabrication process that is used in industries including automotive, medical, aerospace, electronics, jewelry, and tool and die manufacturing. The laser welding process uses an intense laser to apply heat to the seam which fuses the two materials. Laser welding’s main advantage over traditional techniques is that it is cooler, resulting in fewer internal stresses in the joint. This process achieves a strong bond in applications in which the weld only penetrates less than 1 mm deep.
1. Automotive Industry
The automotive industry encompasses a wide range of organizations and activities related to the manufacturing of motor vehicles, including but not limited to design, development, manufacturing, production, and maintenance. The role of laser welding within the automotive industry has significantly increased over the past few years, largely due to production efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness. Automotive components such as: solenoids, engine parts, air conditioning units, alternators, fuel injectors, and filters are just some examples of the types of parts that lasers help produce.
6 Applications of Laser Welding in Industries
Several different types of laser welding are currently used for automotive applications such as: blue direct diode, fiber, pulsed disk lasers, pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum for smaller parts, spot, and seam welds. There has been a growing trend of fiber lasers being employed within the automotive industry recently.
2. Medical Industry
The medical industry provides healthcare treatment, medical equipment, and drugs for the general public. For many medical applications such as implants, very thin metal is used, and a precise weld is required, making laser welding a desirable option. Laser welding works by focusing a high-power laser into the seam between materials to melt and fuse the parts. The medical industry frequently uses micro welding, in which welds reach a depth of less than 1 mm. To carry out this form of welding the medical industry often uses Nd:YAG and Continuous Wave (CW) lasers. The benefit of this type of welding is that very accurate welds can be made on products including pacemakers, surgical blades, and endoscopic equipment.
3. Aerospace Industry
The aerospace industry uses laser welding for its precision in many applications—from security metal detectors to airframes. The aerospace industry requires very high-quality welds as they will be exposed to long working life and experience lots of stress. Aerospace laser welding is unique as it uses a filler wire to create stronger welds.
6 Applications of Laser Welding in Industries
This is necessary due to the requirement for aerospace structures to be highly resilient to fatigue. For this welding, the industry uses fiber lasers. Laser welding benefits the aerospace industry by reducing the total number of rivets used and (therefore) aircraft weight. This is important as aircraft manufacturers are always seeking ways to reduce an aircraft’s weight—even by grams. The aerospace industry takes time to adopt new processes due to the need for extensive qualification; however, one application in which laser welding is commonly used is in the fabrication of fuel tanks.
4. Electronics Industry
The electronics industry produces products for an extensive range of applications and purposes. However, the most advanced electronic equipment is becoming increasingly intricate. The distance between pins can be as small as 0.3 mm, which is too close to prevent bridging with traditional welding methods. The electronics industry uses a standard laser welding process and employs Nd:YAG, continuous wave, fiber, and pulse laser welders. The benefit of using laser welding techniques is the ability to produce precision welds for small, advanced electrical components. Examples of laser welding in the electronics industry would be in the manufacture of control units and certain types of transistors.
5. Jewelry Industry
The jewelry industry produces wearable consumer goods which range in quality and often incorporate precious stones, rare metals, and intricate designs. The jewelry industry uses laser welding to accurately produce and repair products that are intricate and delicate by design.
The industry uses a “free moving” concept in which the laser beam is stationary and the operator can safely use their hands to move the jewelry in front of the beam for welding. The benefit of using a “free moving” laser welder is that it is safe to operate and relatively easy to use. Laser welding machinery can be used to create most forms of jewelry, for example, rings and bracelets.
6. Tool and Die Industry
The tool and die industry is a highly skilled industry specializing in manufacturing parts for machines, equipment, and other products such as: jigs, fixtures, dies, plastic molds, and cutting tools. Laser welding is capable of extending the life of mold tools, which is a critical design feature for these components. Laser welders also operate at a lower heat than conventional welding, eliminating the need for preheating a repair and reducing the internal stresses created by the heat of other welding processes.
6 Applications of Laser Welding in Industries
Pulse laser welding systems are the most efficient form of lasers due to the direct heat focus and precision that avoids the damaged surfaces often associated with conventional welding systems. The construction of precision tools that are used to cut, shape, and form metal in the tool and die industry is an example of the implementation of laser welding within this industry.
