Building a fast car? Get $400 OFF the VIP package with every current and FUTURE course included: hpcdmy.co/vipy1 Practical TIG Welding course. Get started today with 50% OFF: hpcdmy.co/offery1 TIME STAMPS: 0:00 - Laster Welding 0:13 - Evan Shea, Serra Laser 0:18 - Garage Level Vs Industrial Level 0:54 - TIG Welding vs Laser Welding 1:41 - Is Chromoly Welding Possible? Yes. 1:51 - How A Laser Welder Works 2:38 - Manual Settings 3:12 - Material Thickness 3:36 - Material Preparation 4:10 - Shielding Gas 4:42 - Argon vs Nitrogen Costs 5:08 - Faster Than MIG & TIG? 5:40 - Pulse Mode 6:19 - Fit Up Requirements 6:59 - Back Purging 7:23 - These Will Get Cheaper Over Time 7:57 - Have A Thirst For More Knowledge?
WOW that video was the worst. You have some really loyal fans to get a 1% like rate. WHY don't you have move video of the welding? Were not buying the product we just want to see it working. I am shocked you even uploaded this. I have no clue why youtube thinks I needed to see this crap. Don't worry I will pick don't recommend this channel so I don't have to waste my time on your videos. you are welcome for the time I took me to write this comments so you don't make the same mistake twice.
I've had the chance of welding with Laser, and it is a total game changer. It is great for exhausts, intakes, and thin sheet, but for rollcage or other parts, I rather use MIG or TIG.
Once these become more financially viable for small shops that specialize in production of fabricated parts, this could really open up the amount of not-mild steel products on the market, given how demanding a lot of these materials are to TIG weld. The potential here is pretty exciting, especially if they ever get within spitting distance of the price of name brand consumer welders - I love welding and the skill aspect of it, but, at the end of the day, it isn't about flexing skills, it's about making parts and lowering the minimum skill level only gives more people an opportunity. We still have a ways to go though, but we're making progress.
I wouldn't be surprised if these get cheaper - I look at the cost of other laser-based machines like laser cutters, which have rapidly gotten cheaper over the past few years. These are relatively new on the market to my understanding, a new and in-development technology. In a few years these things will be at Harbor Freight.
@@quillmaurer6563 The real price drops have been in 5 to 20 watt diode lasers. I would be surprised if we get diode lasers in the hundreds of watts range any time soon, if ever.
It really becomes a process application that meets geometry and fit-up to be remotely viable. Precise machined parts is safest for utilizing laser welding processes.
I worry they're too easy to use, and people won't take the safety aspect seriously enough. I can imagine lots of reckless eye permanent eye damage. Amazing technology though.
@@quillmaurer6563 "I look at the cost of other laser-based machines like laser cutters, which have rapidly gotten cheaper over the past few years." - Depends on which type. I can't wait for these things to be in my HF store.
@@krusher74 omg! thank you for just dropping that huge piece of info. I am sure that is like question number one. More footage would be cool too but I was really glad for the rest of the info.
Very in depth line of questioning. The interviewee semed really knowledgeable and confident in his answers and seems the be comfortable enough to consider this the future of welding.
Laser welding has it's place and for bulk manufacturing of items made from thinner material it is very good. It will not currently replace mig for medium to thick materials and it is not currently cleared for use in structural components or the dairy industry. Some are as cheap as $20k for a 1000w power source but that also requires 20amp single phase power to run it. One last thing he doesn't talk about is how dangerous they can be and how currently there is no safety legislation that covers class 4 lasers in NZ. One I have looked at that was 1500w had a safe distance for a 0.25 sec exposure to the eye of 750mtrs!! Also, they need to have dedicated welding booth like the one they had there. Please don't believe the videos from China showing women in mini skirts with no safety glasses welding with one of these, they can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Yes and I wouldn't recommend that this is the only video someone watches to research laser welders before buying one, nor is that the intention of this content 😎 From my personal experience using a laser welder in a previous role, they are no more dangerous than a MIG or a TIG welder noting someone negligent enough can find a way to accidentally harm or even kill themselves with a fork let alone any type of welder. A healthy & respectful fear of what any tool or machine can do to you and your health is a great asset to have, even if they are as mundane as a builder's hammer 😎 The industries that approve (or not) laser welding is 100% a consideration. I would be surprised if any companies were blindsided here considering they will already be working to and have systems in place maintaining a set standard for their specific industry including 3rd party testing at times where relevant. It will only be a matter of time before industries currently lagging behind will get their ducks in a row for laser welding though I'm sure. A 20amp plug is also a requirement for some other welders along with some needing 3 phase too, with a 20amp plug being the easier and more desirable option for many - Taz. PS: While most of your questions here would be answered presale for a MIG, TIG or laser welder, I did notice Serra offer some simple free training with purchase which I'm sure would address the rest of the concerns raised here which at a glance I thought was a nice touch.
@@hpa101 Hi Taz, thanks for your reply. Having sold welders for 25 years I can tell you that a lot of people don't care about fitting the correct plugs to machines, even some suppliers. We have had machines turn up for repair that have either had the 15amp earth pin ground down to fit a 10amp socket or 20/32amp plugs removed and 10amp plugs fitted. Yes, some people are that thick, I believe they are the ones who drag their knuckles in from the carpark... I expect laser welding will become more widely used as the prices come down but NZ safety legislation needs to catch up as laser cutters are also class 4 and have been here for decades. The European saftey specs (EN 60825 etc) have been around for years and they will be the ones we adopt. Some of the first laser welders I saw at a trade show were robotic or mechanised, not hand lasers. I've also seen laser/mig hybrid welding on thick plates, very flash. I do hope Serra offer more than just simple training as they are capable of great welds but are limited by the knowledge of the user and the price of these machines warrants them spending the extra time.
Well. Laser its always very dangerous for eyes. If you had used laser levels and reflects into surfaces the reflected glitter causes an after image.. , Remember that laser has the power in miliWatts range. And this welder have a millon times more energy . Miller company makes a iterative warning about laser burns by reflect and unintentional flash. Remember the eye damage hazard. Its worst in comparison with arc flash.
I love andre’s interview technique because he does the hard part of chewing the question before the viewer can digest better. However if he has free time i would be interested to know how this changes when he uses Chris Voss’ Never split the difference and The truth detector from Jack Schaffer and Marvin Karlins….tools like labeling, elicitation etc… The questions would reach another dimension and he has some serious potential.
Few weeks ago I read an article talking about the "chat gpt moment of laser" that will soon arrive with the ongoing incredible miniaturisation of the technology
man this would be great for my line of work, welding very thin stainless conveyor belts. i wonder if this method is better for less undercut and thickness deviation than a tig torch on a linear rail edit: turns out we do it's just above my pay grade 😂
Why does this interview sound like a boss and subordinate 😂 almost like the interviewer is actually a sales man and is trying to get right answers from the the interviewee
saw this IPG unit demo'd back at PRI '21 (sorry forget the name of the vendor) but the speed was damn impressive. this SEMA demo looked to be an even better display than what i originally saw given the more numerous and greater variety of samples shown. there were only a few coupons made from joining 1/4" plate out on the table at PRI, but still that was enough to get my attention. my Father in Law's a long retired Welder and former Vo-Tech school Welding Instructor so i literally stopped at this booth all 3 days to watch demos and gather info to bring back to show him. so between visits to the PRI Show, SEMA Show (and other industry shows) there's very few booths i've ever felt the need to stop at 3 times.🤣
You could have a crack at this display stand yourself at SEMA which we thought was a nice touch. Hope you get a chance to have a play in the near future. Very simple to use/hard to get wrong compared to both MIG and TIG - Taz.
Wow that was amazing! The amount of information that this video just taught me was perfect. I’ve been looking into laser welders and trying to figure out if they are worth the money.
Both of these guys know their stuff, great information thank you very much ! Love to have one of these but for a small 1 man shop I couldn’t afford it!
VIP member here. I work for a Machine Tool OEM that does laser welding called TRUMPF. We have a bunch of neat laser welders. All expensive machines, but super neat.
Hey Tommy! Do you they let you do your own after-hours work with them for the race car, or not quite that kind of workplace 😅 Still interesting tools to use either way I'm sure 😎 - Taz.
@@hpa101 If I wanted too. I'd have no problem =D since I'm an applications engineer for the company. I do all the programing and such my self. I call it practice haha but they let us use the machines after hours whenever we need for personal stuff. Just supply your own materials. Honestly for one off stuff. It would take to long. Plus I enjoy tig welding to much =D
Had some bits of laser welding done. One part fractured on the first use (medium stress/high vibration part) and had to be tig welded and then machined back flat, the other looks good so far and very little distortion (very low stress part).
If laser welded rockets can make it into space, I'm sure whoever did that welding for you can figure out what they did wrong for your part 😎 Note just like TIG and MIG welding machines, not all laser welders are made equal, nor are all operators (a good one knows the strength and limits of their tool/s), and there are some circumstances where a TIG or MIG might be more suitable. You really need to consider what is in front of you to work out the best tool for the job at the end of the day - Taz.
Welding is multi dimensional. If any one of those is not properly done you have a potential for failure. Your statement doesn’t provide enough information to make a good guess.
Laser welding has been the norm in modern cars for years now. It's AMAZING how much strength and stiffness unibodies have nowadays as a result. The strength these days doesn't even mostly come from the steel properties or material thickness anymore, it usually comes from the incredible spot welds that hold these stamped body parts together.
I've seen a video of a VW factory showing how the seams of automobile roofs are laser welded and that was probably 10 years ago. Here's another example: "Comau Roof Laser Welding"
I hope people are talking about the toxic dust that is created by these when welding stainless. I’m sure no one is so I will, I wish I were wrong but I’ve used these first hand and they create a heavy dust rather than a fume created by tig. Both create toxic hexavalent chromium, yes but the issue with the dust is if it gets into you’re lungs it stays there rather than being exhaled. It’s happened to me and feels like you’re lungs are burned, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I develop cancer 10 years down the road. If you look into this and ask laser regulation departments, they all seem to give the same answer “We don’t know” or seem unsure of this issue. This becomes a major issue when the area is improperly ventilated which most shops are not to the extent lasers need. Lots of these systems come out of China are not geared towards safety to begin with. I along with many others left a prestige exhaust shop for this very reason.
Fumes from TIG welding can be very toxic. Breathing them out is not really solving that issue as they enter the bloodstream too. Just want to clear that up, use extraction with adequate ventilation etc where applicable rather than hoping you can simply breathe that stuff back out dude! Otherwise, interesting points and very valid! Sounds like where you worked had little interest in PPE for TIG or laser welding. A quick search will show you some of the safety issues with laser welding as well as the solutions. Your workplace might have made it seem 'hush hush' if they didn't want to deal with it, but that is not the same for every workplace and the information is readily available and material specific 🤘 Hope you're in a happier and healthier environment these days! - Taz.
@@hpa101 I may be wrong - but hexavalent chrome (or something as 'nasty') is a product of welding SS and most people have NO idea of the dangers from the fumes.
We were very impressed with how easy these are to use too. Great to see things like this coming along to this point. They're not cheap but it really wasn't long ago the only laser welder/s I saw around that price were very large fixed location units for small electronics/jewellery applications etc! - Taz.
One area it needs work and may never compete is where you need full penetration welds with a smooth ID without processing and of course field work such as process/sanitary piping. LBW tends to make a mess of the ID on full penetration welds being undesirable for any type of precision piping that has a fluid flowing through it or even full penetration sheet metal welds. The weld quality is indistinguishable from gtaw I was welding bellows with a laser system and a lab analyzed the lbw and could not tell a difference. But that weld backside ……..
@@Kyrazlan it is possible that it is/was, however I’ve seen it happen plenty, where you get really nasty drop through versus a nice smooth weld reinforcement like you get with tig. It could be the sweet spot was exceeded and too much energy was used causing excessive vaporization hence the nasty sharp weld reinforcement but as I’m not laser welding at my current gig to test and verify I’ll just say it’s not like TIG yet. It’s gotten way better than the older YAG systems but still not TIG.
typically this is caused by excess laser power blasting right through the joint. The goal is to allow the molten area around the keyhole to create the penetration. We have done lots of back purged laser pipe welds, full pen, without making a mess of the inside, although i have also seen what you are talking about, always caused by excess power used.
also i see a "Co-Bot" in the background. at PRI '22 Lincoln had a traditional welder set up with a Co-Bot doing a "cold" demo. made me think how combing the Laser seen the previous year with a Co-Bot, one could indeed set up some small scale Automated Welding in their garage. savvy CNC guys are ALREADY using Co-Bots to load/unload parts for small production runs IN THEIR GARAGES.
If i could get a machine around £1000 i would buy one... i cant weld good still a amateur but this looks super easy ..... be perfect for my automotive need ie exhausts and thin panels
You might be able to pick one up second hand for that price at some stage. Not quite there yet though, however, you would get a really solid used TIG with that budget for sure instead - Taz.
My concern with laser welding is, to some owner/investor types it's a depreciable capital purchase that enables employers to lower their welder pay scales. To a welder or an engineer it's a really expensive machine that some clients are going to be wary of. I've heard "well we've validated with this and this and this, but at this point in the lifecycle we're not prepared to get everyone together to approve a new process, soooo..." more than once, and often about something involving lasers.
I don't quite understand your comment sorry but will give it a nudge. You are concerned you will be paid less as a welder to use this is what I'm picking up, correct? If so, I would agree it will cost a business less to both employ and train a laser welder vs a TIG welder for a higher upfront cost, if this is something then can consider for their application. This is something we have seen many times over with various tools throughout history. If a business wants to wait a few generations before investing that is up to them too. Being late/slow to adapt has been the death of some businesses just as jumping on things too early has been the death of others. That is just business. If it was easy, every business would be killing it and none would ever fail 😅 - Taz.
@@hpa101 As an engineer I get it from both sides. Owners want the next big thing so they can charge more for it. Sales people want to be known for having the high tech stuff. Customers are easily misled. And MIG/TIG are hundred year old processes with volumes and volumes of validation data behind them. Most of the time the most sensible option is to use the familiar inexpensive stuff that's all around. With regard to welder pay, what worries me is that employers will see this as a way to justify paying the lowest wages and then I will have to deal with the problems that come with hiring the lowest-paid welders in town. I kind of imagine laser is not really going to sizzle on a resume the way TIG or SMAW do. All the promo videos show a dainty woman in office attire using it. Obviously laser welding has perfect applications and is a fantastic tech, I just don't yet see it as *the* successor to anything we're currently using.
@@stickyfox if an employer doest want to pay you what you want for doing the job why would you work there? Negotiate you have the power they need a Welder fabricator because they can't do it themselves they need you,, don't be desperate for a job or you won't get paid what you want. You are not a slave to your employer you agree to work for the pay you get complaining about it makes you look ridiculous because your the one who agreed to the terms, non union im getting paid $8 more an hour at $34/hr production mig welding then my fellow fabricators working there how? I asked for it told them why and what their getting for it and if they don't give it to me im fully willing to walk away. Really pisses me off when someone comes in as a new hire desperate because I know they are getting low pay, are going to complain, produce bad quality and they are the reason in any kind of drop of pay across the free market of employment
@@codeack101wlck I guess you'd have to ask some of the 75% of Americans who feel "trapped" in their jobs why someone would stay with a steady almost-good-enough paycheck rather than risk unemployment to find something better. With the housing shortage and skyrocketing cost of living it's beyond most working Americans' means to just go find a better job. And on top of that, employers are actively discouraging Americans from improving their work situation. Our biggest companies and our railroads are engaging in unionbusting and wage theft, and using health insurance as leverage to keep people from jumping ship. It's not pretty out there. The last place I worked for went through 2-3 welders who all left after a few months, and eventually shuffled the job off on an unqualified maintenance person who was later fired. None of them were making more than $25/hour. Now they just pay insane amounts of money to an out-of-state welding contractor when they need something welded. They'd rather burn fuel and add lead time and raise prices and even cut into profits... than to give the guy holding the torch another $100/week even on days he's not holding the torch. But hey that's business right? Gotta spend money to make money?
I’m interested in the fact that he was using gas welding goggles instead of a proper welding helmet, and gloves and that you can use nitrogen as a gas, the same as used in high power laser cutting. I’ll have to look up how this works in more detail, but as you guys know, keeping nitrogen OUT of a weld is usually considered to be very important.
Those are special laser safety glasses rated for the specific wavelength produced (1070nm). And nitrogen is typically not used because of the nitrides formed with tungsten, but with laser welding, nitrogen is superior for many materials and there is no tungsten to worry about. 👍
Those are both things that are recommended for safe laser welding. The glasses protect your vision and the helmet and gloves protect your skin. (vision being the most important thing to protect obviously) @@melgross
Let’s keep something in mind. Working with lasers, which I’ve done< is different than welding with lasers. Glasses for laser safety is so you don’t get laser light directly in the eye. Welding produces ultraviolet, even if it’s done with lasers. So you need protection from that.
Really cool stuff! Wonder if it will get more affordable in the near future? Looking at other laser-based technologies, like laser cutters, I wouldn't be surprised if these are at Harbor Freight in a few years. This concept not requiring electrical conductivity of the material being welded could make for some interesting possibilities - wonder if it would be possible to weld glass, so long as the glass is opaque to the laser's light wavelength? Or plastics, though that would require a far lower-power laser.
I believe the future of welding is to be almost unneeded. With the advancements in 3D printing technology, we'll be able to produce complex structures with moving parts and twists that we can't today. Welding might become limited to repairs but even then, we are already exploring self-reparing materials. That future is probably 50-100 years away but we are already making great progress towards it.
Definitely not bud, sure technoly will advance but welding done by a person will never go completely away. Just like machining and yes, even the horse and buggy.
@@EvanShea-uv8jo Weld heat affected zones will self quench, causing it to become brittle. Even short circuit transfer in wire feed welding processes can do this, especially active gas like CO2 with ER70S6 filler.
Laser welding is better in some applications. As cf is but not for submescibles. To do maintenance on field laser is no option. Check out electron beam welding if you like to weld different materials together 😊
What typical field repairs are you doing to a TIG that you can bodge together without outside help or specific replacement parts out of interest? Not saying that isn't a valid point, depending on what goes wrong and the comparative reliability it could be, just interested in why that is a concern for you is all 😎 - Taz.
What's it like on thin stainless for food equipment. Will the weld cause burn through ? And do the welds clean up any discolouration with a electro acid machine ?
No but robot welding they have been around for quite a while. But laser welding only good for production not when you have to go out somewhere and fix something. And that is just a tig with a spool gun but uses laser as the heat source. Laser probably uses more electricity as well.
About time someone did a video on this technology. I'm seeing cheap products from China and now it is clear that some of them are not laser systems since they would need to be more expensive.
If they're any good you won't have a problem finding many people telling you that because you are not the only guy out there looking. If there is a MASSIVE price difference and the deal looks too good to be true, it could also be just that, too good to be true. Risk vs reward, we all make our own calls 😎 - Taz.
@@hpa101 "because you are not the only guy out there looking" You are assuming there's no censorship. They sell fake products using Facebook ads all day long and there's no venue where potential buyers can discuss things. Same company: there's an instagram user who posts cool laser welding videos. But, any comments that are too critical probably get deleted by him/her.
They all come from China! They just bring them to the US and put a sticker on it. I have 4 lasers from China and one from the US. All the same inside. Same Raycus lasers, Same power supplies and so on.
Fantastic system of welding , but as the Man mention , it's not affordable ! Generally , devices are huge , heavy and crazy expensive ! The most compact device from China , Max wave , 70 kg , 1- 1,5 KW , cost a bit less than 10 000 euro by Ali Express . But point is , this system is the most secure for Alu .
We usually need to disconnect all electronics from a machine in the field before welding. Can these welders be used in the field for repairs at some point? I'm assuming we wouldn't have to worry about a ground clamp with this tech, and therefore don't need to worry about frying the electronics on a machine?
Auto repair industry is adopting this technology for that reason in particular, as well as the minimal deformation. There is no high current traveling through the metal so for EV body repair, and modern ICE cars with many sensitive electrical components, this is a game changer.
Well. Never say never...usually. High cost and in general weaker structurally laser welding has a long way to go to be a big player in welding. It is just not there yet. The machines are expensive, the welds are weaker and for thin metals. Not there yet.
Thank you so much for this. I have been doubtful purely due to the sudden advertising storm on hand held laser machines lately. None or at least very few of them answer questions we all want answers to. For me this one covered the all important penetration and I am officially sold. I want one badly.... The price though... :( Anybody in the market for a kidney? Might be able to manage a lobe of a reasonably well maintained liver too, at a stretch.
Maybe we can do a bulk kidney offering so I can get one too? haha Have to keep needs vs wants in mind too though right! Every tool has its pros and cons but really unless we have a specific commercial need for a specific tool, it is just a want and we can still do great things fabrication wise etc with other options. In this case, they might just take a little longer comparative to using a laser welder, but the doing part is what is important at the end of the day 😎 Well that's what I think anyway 😂 Happy welding no matter which machine you are using mate! - Taz.
I find a massive problem with this, The guy talking about and says that The heat affected zone is narrower which preserves the original properties. But that is not necessarily the point of welding. As when you apply heat and the filler metal, you will lose a little bit of structural strength to the parent metal. As the parent metal is sharing the strength capacity to the adjoining metal. Basically describing nothing more than a top weld lacking penetration. When welding, it's absolutely necessary to go slower on thicker metals This allows two medals to be joined together And mix. In a fast process other than with thin material. This is just not possible. The reason that the metal Heats up through electric arc welding As well as the reason that electricity is the method used. As the current passes through the parent metal becomes hot as well. This allows for fusion. How can you possibly fuse a cold metal to a hot metal. As well as how do you prevent impurities from getting in the weld. Anyone can tell you if they've ever used mig welders. There's a reason that mig is not used for Steal beams. In welding penetration is everything as well as bonding.
I think you are assuming because that is stated that no heat goes into the weld at all, which is not quite right. You still need heat to weld, the difference is this type of welding keeps it better confined to the working area rather than further out into your work piece. If you have ever welded up exhaust headers and similar you will know half the battle is actually making sure you don't let that excess heat warp the work piece while you are working on it. That excess heat isn't giving you a better weld, it is damaging your work if you do not take time and extra steps to prevent it. At the end of the day though there is no one welder to rule them all, every option has strengths and weaknesses, even your favourite and there are a whole range of applications, materials and thicknesses to consider when making the choice on what suits the work in front of your face at the time the best 😉 - Taz.
The laser is capable of reaching depth of penetration which is unachievable with typical arc processes. This is a totally different process from what you have experience with, and there is much to learn. Reach out to us at Serra Laser if you are curious to learn more.
For cosmetic stuff with no load needed in production its still more expensive in electricity. Price of argon is not going up these people just wanna sell stuff. You could probably modify a laser hair removal machine and tig with it. But its not for welds that need a serious load on them or pressure in them.
Initially he said that this process could penetrate up to 1/4” but later when asked about pipe welding and beveling the ends, he said that no gap or bevel is necessary for joining pipe to pipe, and I would presume that would include pipe to fittings as well. That sounds absolutely ridiculous! I’ve welded pipes of all sizes, materials, schedules and processes and I can tell you that that’s absolutely baloney. The ONLY time in my career when I’ve ever had to weld without a bevel and or a gap, is when I’ve welded with orbital machines, or hand welded SS pharmaceutical grade piping. In those procedures the ends were machined square, with a special tool and butted together, purged and welded without any filler wire. And the pipes used in those situations have all been of a very thin thickness or schedule. What you’ve just implied would obviously not apply to every piping application.🤔🤔🤔
I have the ipg 1500. Same one he is using. It can only weld 1/8 material. When he said 1/4 that's if you weld on both sides of the part. No bevel is required when no wire is being used. With wire you need a small bevel and get way less penetration. Mig welding is faster than laser for sure. Don't know why he said laser is 4 times fast. When welding 14ga stainless it's an amazing machine but 1/8 or more I tig or mig weld the parts
The downside to this process is definitely the cost. I work in high-energy lasers and the component costs are definitely not what's propping up the enormous cost of these systems. Almost 99% of the cost of these systems is R&D and profit markup. Until these companies start trying to make a reasonably-priced product aimed at a realistic market, instead of trying to get rich quick as a market front-runner, this won't see serious take-off. Unfortunately, the only people taking the affordability approach are the Chinese.
Some Jewelers use lasers now. You can make a repair with the stones in place. You are probably talking about smaller than this. The future looks bright🙂
Laser welding needs a different type of visor to TIG welding to protect the lenses in your eyes if that's what you mean? Like TIG or MIG etc, you just need to purchase the right PPE for this specific equipment - Taz.
@@MercBenz-oc5fo different welders will have different designs, best you get in touch with whatever specific company provides the unit you're looking at noting laser welding is more comparable to TIG welding than MIG welding, with MIG welding having a lot more splatter etc than TIG or laser to the point it's not directly comparable when you're doing it all correctly - Taz.
You can wear more PPE than this if you wish to when laser welding. You don't have to do what others are or are not doing, you are an individual with your own brain. If you are using a welder like this in a professional environment, talk to your employer about PPE noting you didn't mention fume extraction which can be very important in some applications too - Taz.
@hpa101 yes, fumes are a potential hazard as well. My struggle with seeing someone do this at an expo or show is that some people will not realize the dangers if they don't see the expert wearing the proper ppe for the hazards. Even the welding helmets are made with a special shield, so it is sad to me to watch something like this.
The risk to the skin is a reality as well. In this situation, an expert was in control, and those who were allowed to give the system a try were instructed of the risks and provided with proper PPE, as well as air filtration in the booth.
How do you weld pipe schedule 80 or 160 thick wall close square butt with full penetration as you said don’t need any bevel preparation ? I’m talking close square butt well with thickness over 20mm .
What is the motorsport application you are using this for? I'd put questions like this to the supplier to make sure you are getting the right tool for your application. Ask a few of them. It's also a good way to get a feel for the support of a company before you purchase anything too - Taz.
The laser welder penetrated deeply into the material by making a "keyhole" which penetrates very deep into the material. The heat is more focused, and the energy density is 200x that of an arc weld so you are inputting the heat only where it is needed.
So, laser welding is tig welding for mig welders? That's what I got. It could be a faster welding over tig but production tigs guys are crazy fast as well.
Not something we can help with sorry. We're just talking laser welders here, we don't sell them ourselves. Serra do have prices listed but perhaps give them a call if you have questions beyond that. Having a chat can be a good way to get a feel for a company too - Taz, www.serralaser.com/
There are 3 areas to a weld. 1 mechanical 2. metallurgical and 3. cosmetic. There is nothing a laser can do to improve those 3 areas. Laser welding does improve the HAZ and will take welding from an art form to a science.
Sounds more like you have never welded anything other than 'pressure piping' in your life 😅 As it is a TIG is not used for every and any welding application and it will be the same for laser welding just as it is also MIG and Arc. It will take over in some areas, and already has, but unlikely all 😎- Taz.
I'd have a chat to your chosen seller about what you need from a unit like this and they can help you figure out if it is going to suit you or if your current setup is still a better option - TAz.
Yes, we have done testing on this and it has immense benefits. Many large OEM collision centers have adopted this already, with the benefit of low distortion, and no effect on electrical systems.
No, the laser is capable of inputting more than enough heat, it is just very focused. The energy density at the point of weld is 200x that of an arc weld, so the heat is just not being input where it is not needed. In fact, many applications where a preheat would be required for tig or mig, it is not with the laser.
@@paulmeersa7162the lower or lack of preheat is just something that I have found after dealing with these systems for the last 3 years. I have done testing on hundreds of varying applications, and done a bit of research myself. The welding codes will catch up but it is fairly new to the handheld welding industry. However aerospace specifications have been made for handheld laser already, and there is a lot of this going on with the rockets going to space these days.
You're right, we didn't. Just like MIG, TIG and other welding options, when done correctly in the correct way for the material, it should be as strong or stronger than the parent material. From there you need to get material specific when comparing one welding option to another - Taz.
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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Laster Welding
0:13 - Evan Shea, Serra Laser
0:18 - Garage Level Vs Industrial Level
0:54 - TIG Welding vs Laser Welding
1:41 - Is Chromoly Welding Possible? Yes.
1:51 - How A Laser Welder Works
2:38 - Manual Settings
3:12 - Material Thickness
3:36 - Material Preparation
4:10 - Shielding Gas
4:42 - Argon vs Nitrogen Costs
5:08 - Faster Than MIG & TIG?
5:40 - Pulse Mode
6:19 - Fit Up Requirements
6:59 - Back Purging
7:23 - These Will Get Cheaper Over Time
7:57 - Have A Thirst For More Knowledge?
WOW that video was the worst. You have some really loyal fans to get a 1% like rate. WHY don't you have move video of the welding? Were not buying the product we just want to see it working. I am shocked you even uploaded this. I have no clue why youtube thinks I needed to see this crap. Don't worry I will pick don't recommend this channel so I don't have to waste my time on your videos. you are welcome for the time I took me to write this comments so you don't make the same mistake twice.
I've had the chance of welding with Laser, and it is a total game changer. It is great for exhausts, intakes, and thin sheet, but for rollcage or other parts, I rather use MIG or TIG.
what about aluminiums?
@@adrianralte Never used it on Aluminium.
@@TonySopeano46 its perfectly fine to do it on aluminum.
How do you feel on MIG Vs TIG for cages? I'm starting to get the hang of MIG but not touched a TIG yet.
Why?
Once these become more financially viable for small shops that specialize in production of fabricated parts, this could really open up the amount of not-mild steel products on the market, given how demanding a lot of these materials are to TIG weld. The potential here is pretty exciting, especially if they ever get within spitting distance of the price of name brand consumer welders - I love welding and the skill aspect of it, but, at the end of the day, it isn't about flexing skills, it's about making parts and lowering the minimum skill level only gives more people an opportunity. We still have a ways to go though, but we're making progress.
I wouldn't be surprised if these get cheaper - I look at the cost of other laser-based machines like laser cutters, which have rapidly gotten cheaper over the past few years. These are relatively new on the market to my understanding, a new and in-development technology. In a few years these things will be at Harbor Freight.
@@quillmaurer6563 The real price drops have been in 5 to 20 watt diode lasers. I would be surprised if we get diode lasers in the hundreds of watts range any time soon, if ever.
It really becomes a process application that meets geometry and fit-up to be remotely viable. Precise machined parts is safest for utilizing laser welding processes.
I worry they're too easy to use, and people won't take the safety aspect seriously enough. I can imagine lots of reckless eye permanent eye damage.
Amazing technology though.
@@quillmaurer6563 "I look at the cost of other laser-based machines like laser cutters, which have rapidly gotten cheaper over the past few years."
- Depends on which type.
I can't wait for these things to be in my HF store.
We always credit Andre for his interview technique but Evan sure is a confident interviewee here too.
Evan knows his stuff! An asset to Serra and a pleasure to interview 😎 - Taz.
Yeah if only our politicians were like Evan.
Very good interview; straight to the point, no forced humor and clear and concise questions and responses. Bravo
He is hands down the best interviewer on UA-cam.
He always asks the questions people really want to know, and without wasting time
The one thing no one would say from $83,837.
@@krusher74 omg! thank you for just dropping that huge piece of info. I am sure that is like question number one. More footage would be cool too but I was really glad for the rest of the info.
Very in depth line of questioning. The interviewee semed really knowledgeable and confident in his answers and seems the be comfortable enough to consider this the future of welding.
Laser welding has it's place and for bulk manufacturing of items made from thinner material it is very good. It will not currently replace mig for medium to thick materials and it is not currently cleared for use in structural components or the dairy industry. Some are as cheap as $20k for a 1000w power source but that also requires 20amp single phase power to run it.
One last thing he doesn't talk about is how dangerous they can be and how currently there is no safety legislation that covers class 4 lasers in NZ. One I have looked at that was 1500w had a safe distance for a 0.25 sec exposure to the eye of 750mtrs!! Also, they need to have dedicated welding booth like the one they had there. Please don't believe the videos from China showing women in mini skirts with no safety glasses welding with one of these, they can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Yes and I wouldn't recommend that this is the only video someone watches to research laser welders before buying one, nor is that the intention of this content 😎
From my personal experience using a laser welder in a previous role, they are no more dangerous than a MIG or a TIG welder noting someone negligent enough can find a way to accidentally harm or even kill themselves with a fork let alone any type of welder.
A healthy & respectful fear of what any tool or machine can do to you and your health is a great asset to have, even if they are as mundane as a builder's hammer 😎
The industries that approve (or not) laser welding is 100% a consideration. I would be surprised if any companies were blindsided here considering they will already be working to and have systems in place maintaining a set standard for their specific industry including 3rd party testing at times where relevant. It will only be a matter of time before industries currently lagging behind will get their ducks in a row for laser welding though I'm sure.
A 20amp plug is also a requirement for some other welders along with some needing 3 phase too, with a 20amp plug being the easier and more desirable option for many - Taz.
PS: While most of your questions here would be answered presale for a MIG, TIG or laser welder, I did notice Serra offer some simple free training with purchase which I'm sure would address the rest of the concerns raised here which at a glance I thought was a nice touch.
@@hpa101 Hi Taz, thanks for your reply.
Having sold welders for 25 years I can tell you that a lot of people don't care about fitting the correct plugs to machines, even some suppliers.
We have had machines turn up for repair that have either had the 15amp earth pin ground down to fit a 10amp socket or 20/32amp plugs removed and 10amp plugs fitted.
Yes, some people are that thick, I believe they are the ones who drag their knuckles in from the carpark...
I expect laser welding will become more widely used as the prices come down but NZ safety legislation needs to catch up as laser cutters are also class 4 and have been here for decades. The European saftey specs (EN 60825 etc) have been around for years and they will be the ones we adopt.
Some of the first laser welders I saw at a trade show were robotic or mechanised, not hand lasers. I've also seen laser/mig hybrid welding on thick plates, very flash.
I do hope Serra offer more than just simple training as they are capable of great welds but are limited by the knowledge of the user and the price of these machines warrants them spending the extra time.
I think guns are more dangerous than this...what are the worst than can be possibly goes wrong in using this than using a gun?
Well. Laser its always very dangerous for eyes. If you had used laser levels and reflects into surfaces the reflected glitter causes an after image.. , Remember that laser has the power in miliWatts range. And this welder have a millon times more energy . Miller company makes a iterative warning about laser burns by reflect and unintentional flash. Remember the eye damage hazard. Its worst in comparison with arc flash.
I love andre’s interview technique because he does the hard part of chewing the question before the viewer can digest better. However if he has free time i would be interested to know how this changes when he uses Chris Voss’ Never split the difference and The truth detector from Jack Schaffer and Marvin Karlins….tools like labeling, elicitation etc…
The questions would reach another dimension and he has some serious potential.
More amazing than laser welding is the fact they had people who new what they were talking about instead of some moron asking fluff questions.
Few weeks ago I read an article talking about the "chat gpt moment of laser" that will soon arrive with the ongoing incredible miniaturisation of the technology
Definitely something I'd rather see than all the spot welds on production parts that like to crack
Only advantage to those is that the job is already half done for you when stripping something apart right 😂 - Taz.
man this would be great for my line of work, welding very thin stainless conveyor belts. i wonder if this method is better for less undercut and thickness deviation than a tig torch on a linear rail
edit: turns out we do it's just above my pay grade 😂
Why does this interview sound like a boss and subordinate 😂 almost like the interviewer is actually a sales man and is trying to get right answers from the the interviewee
saw this IPG unit demo'd back at PRI '21 (sorry forget the name of the vendor) but the speed was damn impressive. this SEMA demo looked to be an even better display than what i originally saw given the more numerous and greater variety of samples shown. there were only a few coupons made from joining 1/4" plate out on the table at PRI, but still that was enough to get my attention. my Father in Law's a long retired Welder and former Vo-Tech school Welding Instructor so i literally stopped at this booth all 3 days to watch demos and gather info to bring back to show him. so between visits to the PRI Show, SEMA Show (and other industry shows) there's very few booths i've ever felt the need to stop at 3 times.🤣
The ease of use is pretty phenomenal eh! Not without pros and cons like any tool but pretty exciting tech to see trickling down slowly 😎 - Taz.
@hpa101 indeed, I was hoping you guys might cover this.👍
Damn it. I'm an American consumer and I want a Laser welder now!
Sounds pretty good to me, would love to have a go with one.
You could have a crack at this display stand yourself at SEMA which we thought was a nice touch.
Hope you get a chance to have a play in the near future. Very simple to use/hard to get wrong compared to both MIG and TIG - Taz.
GOD if you were welding 1/4" stainless plate the thing would pay for itself in no time JUST on not having to V out or prep etc.
Wow that was amazing! The amount of information that this video just taught me was perfect. I’ve been looking into laser welders and trying to figure out if they are worth the money.
Both of these guys know their stuff, great information thank you very much ! Love to have one of these but for a small 1 man shop I couldn’t afford it!
Sweet! This should drive TIG machine prices down
It's really the price of the argon. The tig rig will pay for itself in a couple of jobs. Unless you're using some crazy setup
torch looks big and not very handy for restricted area but for many applications it seems better for sure
Torches will get smaller, as improvements come.
Cant wait to have one of these in my garage
The laser welder would be the best thing to use to put a welding table together
VIP member here. I work for a Machine Tool OEM that does laser welding called TRUMPF. We have a bunch of neat laser welders. All expensive machines, but super neat.
Hey Tommy!
Do you they let you do your own after-hours work with them for the race car, or not quite that kind of workplace 😅
Still interesting tools to use either way I'm sure 😎 - Taz.
@@hpa101 If I wanted too. I'd have no problem =D since I'm an applications engineer for the company. I do all the programing and such my self. I call it practice haha but they let us use the machines after hours whenever we need for personal stuff. Just supply your own materials. Honestly for one off stuff. It would take to long. Plus I enjoy tig welding to much =D
Excellent interview, direct, informative, lets the expert speak. 👍
Nice interview, clear and to the point.
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers 😎
Had some bits of laser welding done. One part fractured on the first use (medium stress/high vibration part) and had to be tig welded and then machined back flat, the other looks good so far and very little distortion (very low stress part).
If laser welded rockets can make it into space, I'm sure whoever did that welding for you can figure out what they did wrong for your part 😎
Note just like TIG and MIG welding machines, not all laser welders are made equal, nor are all operators (a good one knows the strength and limits of their tool/s), and there are some circumstances where a TIG or MIG might be more suitable.
You really need to consider what is in front of you to work out the best tool for the job at the end of the day - Taz.
Welding is multi dimensional. If any one of those is not properly done you have a potential for failure. Your statement doesn’t provide enough information to make a good guess.
That was really great interview!!
I REALLY want (need) to see a cut-and-etch of an assortment of laser welds. (Differing material, thickness, joint geometry, etc.)
Laser welding has been the norm in modern cars for years now. It's AMAZING how much strength and stiffness unibodies have nowadays as a result. The strength these days doesn't even mostly come from the steel properties or material thickness anymore, it usually comes from the incredible spot welds that hold these stamped body parts together.
@@spdcrzy unibody cars are spot welded and mig
I've seen a video of a VW factory showing how the seams of automobile roofs are laser welded and that was probably 10 years ago. Here's another example: "Comau Roof Laser Welding"
I hope people are talking about the toxic dust that is created by these when welding stainless. I’m sure no one is so I will, I wish I were wrong but I’ve used these first hand and they create a heavy dust rather than a fume created by tig. Both create toxic hexavalent chromium, yes but the issue with the dust is if it gets into you’re lungs it stays there rather than being exhaled. It’s happened to me and feels like you’re lungs are burned, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I develop cancer 10 years down the road. If you look into this and ask laser regulation departments, they all seem to give the same answer “We don’t know” or seem unsure of this issue. This becomes a major issue when the area is improperly ventilated which most shops are not to the extent lasers need. Lots of these systems come out of China are not geared towards safety to begin with. I along with many others left a prestige exhaust shop for this very reason.
Fumes from TIG welding can be very toxic. Breathing them out is not really solving that issue as they enter the bloodstream too. Just want to clear that up, use extraction with adequate ventilation etc where applicable rather than hoping you can simply breathe that stuff back out dude!
Otherwise, interesting points and very valid! Sounds like where you worked had little interest in PPE for TIG or laser welding. A quick search will show you some of the safety issues with laser welding as well as the solutions. Your workplace might have made it seem 'hush hush' if they didn't want to deal with it, but that is not the same for every workplace and the information is readily available and material specific 🤘
Hope you're in a happier and healthier environment these days! - Taz.
@@hpa101 I may be wrong - but hexavalent chrome (or something as 'nasty') is a product of welding SS and most people have NO idea of the dangers from the fumes.
Very cool tech!
We were very impressed with how easy these are to use too. Great to see things like this coming along to this point. They're not cheap but it really wasn't long ago the only laser welder/s I saw around that price were very large fixed location units for small electronics/jewellery applications etc! - Taz.
I've been watching these welders for years waiting until I can afford one. I want to try one on welding body panels together.
Ebay chinese cans and headers have been using this lately, strong
One area it needs work and may never compete is where you need full penetration welds with a smooth ID without processing and of course field work such as process/sanitary piping. LBW tends to make a mess of the ID on full penetration welds being undesirable for any type of precision piping that has a fluid flowing through it or even full penetration sheet metal welds. The weld quality is indistinguishable from gtaw I was welding bellows with a laser system and a lab analyzed the lbw and could not tell a difference. But that weld backside ……..
sounds like a settings issue.
@@Kyrazlan it is possible that it is/was, however I’ve seen it happen plenty, where you get really nasty drop through versus a nice smooth weld reinforcement like you get with tig. It could be the sweet spot was exceeded and too much energy was used causing excessive vaporization hence the nasty sharp weld reinforcement but as I’m not laser welding at my current gig to test and verify I’ll just say it’s not like TIG yet. It’s gotten way better than the older YAG systems but still not TIG.
typically this is caused by excess laser power blasting right through the joint. The goal is to allow the molten area around the keyhole to create the penetration. We have done lots of back purged laser pipe welds, full pen, without making a mess of the inside, although i have also seen what you are talking about, always caused by excess power used.
"My answer is comprehensive and doesn't need to be repeated."
"So, what you're saying is you do complete answers and there's no need to sum them up?"
Great questions
also i see a "Co-Bot" in the background. at PRI '22 Lincoln had a traditional welder set up with a Co-Bot doing a "cold" demo. made me think how combing the Laser seen the previous year with a Co-Bot, one could indeed set up some small scale Automated Welding in their garage. savvy CNC guys are ALREADY using Co-Bots to load/unload parts for small production runs IN THEIR GARAGES.
Excellent question structure and great responses. 👍🙂
That was a great interview! Great questions and answers
Yet another informative and entertaining interview by HPA.
Thanks, and keep up the great work.
If i could get a machine around £1000 i would buy one... i cant weld good still a amateur but this looks super easy ..... be perfect for my automotive need ie exhausts and thin panels
You might be able to pick one up second hand for that price at some stage. Not quite there yet though, however, you would get a really solid used TIG with that budget for sure instead - Taz.
Wow what specific informative good questions and answers. 😊
I love efficiency
How can I get the Lazer welder in South Africa and at what price please
Love this guy
My concern with laser welding is, to some owner/investor types it's a depreciable capital purchase that enables employers to lower their welder pay scales. To a welder or an engineer it's a really expensive machine that some clients are going to be wary of. I've heard "well we've validated with this and this and this, but at this point in the lifecycle we're not prepared to get everyone together to approve a new process, soooo..." more than once, and often about something involving lasers.
I don't quite understand your comment sorry but will give it a nudge.
You are concerned you will be paid less as a welder to use this is what I'm picking up, correct?
If so, I would agree it will cost a business less to both employ and train a laser welder vs a TIG welder for a higher upfront cost, if this is something then can consider for their application.
This is something we have seen many times over with various tools throughout history.
If a business wants to wait a few generations before investing that is up to them too. Being late/slow to adapt has been the death of some businesses just as jumping on things too early has been the death of others. That is just business. If it was easy, every business would be killing it and none would ever fail 😅 - Taz.
@@hpa101 As an engineer I get it from both sides. Owners want the next big thing so they can charge more for it. Sales people want to be known for having the high tech stuff. Customers are easily misled. And MIG/TIG are hundred year old processes with volumes and volumes of validation data behind them. Most of the time the most sensible option is to use the familiar inexpensive stuff that's all around.
With regard to welder pay, what worries me is that employers will see this as a way to justify paying the lowest wages and then I will have to deal with the problems that come with hiring the lowest-paid welders in town. I kind of imagine laser is not really going to sizzle on a resume the way TIG or SMAW do. All the promo videos show a dainty woman in office attire using it.
Obviously laser welding has perfect applications and is a fantastic tech, I just don't yet see it as *the* successor to anything we're currently using.
@@stickyfox if an employer doest want to pay you what you want for doing the job why would you work there? Negotiate you have the power they need a Welder fabricator because they can't do it themselves they need you,, don't be desperate for a job or you won't get paid what you want. You are not a slave to your employer you agree to work for the pay you get complaining about it makes you look ridiculous because your the one who agreed to the terms, non union im getting paid $8 more an hour at $34/hr production mig welding then my fellow fabricators working there how? I asked for it told them why and what their getting for it and if they don't give it to me im fully willing to walk away. Really pisses me off when someone comes in as a new hire desperate because I know they are getting low pay, are going to complain, produce bad quality and they are the reason in any kind of drop of pay across the free market of employment
@@codeack101wlck I guess you'd have to ask some of the 75% of Americans who feel "trapped" in their jobs why someone would stay with a steady almost-good-enough paycheck rather than risk unemployment to find something better. With the housing shortage and skyrocketing cost of living it's beyond most working Americans' means to just go find a better job.
And on top of that, employers are actively discouraging Americans from improving their work situation. Our biggest companies and our railroads are engaging in unionbusting and wage theft, and using health insurance as leverage to keep people from jumping ship. It's not pretty out there.
The last place I worked for went through 2-3 welders who all left after a few months, and eventually shuffled the job off on an unqualified maintenance person who was later fired. None of them were making more than $25/hour. Now they just pay insane amounts of money to an out-of-state welding contractor when they need something welded. They'd rather burn fuel and add lead time and raise prices and even cut into profits... than to give the guy holding the torch another $100/week even on days he's not holding the torch. But hey that's business right? Gotta spend money to make money?
I wish we saw this in action more
I love innovation.. I'm pretty sure this would have a safety feature so you don't end up playing laser tag in the workshop.... 😅
Love this new tech, how much for the units?
10 to 20k
Its used a lot in moldmaking
After thinking about the dangers of having a handheld laser in the shop, I can see why they are focusing on selling to only manufacturers.
Wow I like this
i weld with my trusty light saber
Yes !
I’m interested in the fact that he was using gas welding goggles instead of a proper welding helmet, and gloves and that you can use nitrogen as a gas, the same as used in high power laser cutting. I’ll have to look up how this works in more detail, but as you guys know, keeping nitrogen OUT of a weld is usually considered to be very important.
Those are special laser safety glasses rated for the specific wavelength produced (1070nm). And nitrogen is typically not used because of the nitrides formed with tungsten, but with laser welding, nitrogen is superior for many materials and there is no tungsten to worry about. 👍
@@shearperformance interesting about the glasses, because a video elsewhere has the guy wearing a welding helmet and welding gloves.
Those are both things that are recommended for safe laser welding. The glasses protect your vision and the helmet and gloves protect your skin. (vision being the most important thing to protect obviously) @@melgross
Let’s keep something in mind. Working with lasers, which I’ve done< is different than welding with lasers. Glasses for laser safety is so you don’t get laser light directly in the eye. Welding produces ultraviolet, even if it’s done with lasers. So you need protection from that.
not true, you mean Hydrogen
Really cool stuff! Wonder if it will get more affordable in the near future? Looking at other laser-based technologies, like laser cutters, I wouldn't be surprised if these are at Harbor Freight in a few years. This concept not requiring electrical conductivity of the material being welded could make for some interesting possibilities - wonder if it would be possible to weld glass, so long as the glass is opaque to the laser's light wavelength? Or plastics, though that would require a far lower-power laser.
I believe the future of welding is to be almost unneeded. With the advancements in 3D printing technology, we'll be able to produce complex structures with moving parts and twists that we can't today. Welding might become limited to repairs but even then, we are already exploring self-reparing materials. That future is probably 50-100 years away but we are already making great progress towards it.
Definitely not bud, sure technoly will advance but welding done by a person will never go completely away. Just like machining and yes, even the horse and buggy.
Are there opportunities for someone who has never welded?
GTAW will always be superior on chrome moly and other heat treatable alloys which are quench sensitive.
Why is that?
@@EvanShea-uv8jo
Weld heat affected zones will self quench, causing it to become brittle. Even short circuit transfer in wire feed welding processes can do this, especially active gas like CO2 with ER70S6 filler.
Laser welding is better in some applications. As cf is but not for submescibles. To do maintenance on field laser is no option. Check out electron beam welding if you like to weld different materials together 😊
What typical field repairs are you doing to a TIG that you can bodge together without outside help or specific replacement parts out of interest?
Not saying that isn't a valid point, depending on what goes wrong and the comparative reliability it could be, just interested in why that is a concern for you is all 😎 - Taz.
@@hpa101 I know this is an old comment, but he may be referring to underwater welding?
What's it like on thin stainless for food equipment. Will the weld cause burn through ? And do the welds clean up any discolouration with a electro acid machine ?
No but robot welding they have been around for quite a while. But laser welding only good for production not when you have to go out somewhere and fix something. And that is just a tig with a spool gun but uses laser as the heat source. Laser probably uses more electricity as well.
About time someone did a video on this technology. I'm seeing cheap products from China and now it is clear that some of them are not laser systems since they would need to be more expensive.
If they're any good you won't have a problem finding many people telling you that because you are not the only guy out there looking. If there is a MASSIVE price difference and the deal looks too good to be true, it could also be just that, too good to be true.
Risk vs reward, we all make our own calls 😎 - Taz.
@@hpa101 "because you are not the only guy out there looking"
You are assuming there's no censorship. They sell fake products using Facebook ads all day long and there's no venue where potential buyers can discuss things.
Same company: there's an instagram user who posts cool laser welding videos. But, any comments that are too critical probably get deleted by him/her.
They all come from China! They just bring them to the US and put a sticker on it. I have 4 lasers from China and one from the US. All the same inside. Same Raycus lasers, Same power supplies and so on.
@@niceguydmm The IPG we are showcasing in this demonstration is Produced from start to finish in Massachusetts
@@EvanShea-uv8jo But with parts from China.
Fantastic system of welding , but as the Man mention , it's not affordable ! Generally , devices are huge , heavy and crazy expensive ! The most compact device from China , Max wave , 70 kg , 1- 1,5 KW , cost a bit less than 10 000 euro by Ali Express . But point is , this system is the most secure for Alu .
Is it strong enough to replace rug weld for motorcycle exhaust fabrication? Will it stand the excessive heat?
You should put more pictures in yr video of what you talking about.
We usually need to disconnect all electronics from a machine in the field before welding.
Can these welders be used in the field for repairs at some point? I'm assuming we wouldn't have to worry about a ground clamp with this tech, and therefore don't need to worry about frying the electronics on a machine?
Auto repair industry is adopting this technology for that reason in particular, as well as the minimal deformation. There is no high current traveling through the metal so for EV body repair, and modern ICE cars with many sensitive electrical components, this is a game changer.
Well. Never say never...usually.
High cost and in general weaker structurally laser welding has a long way to go to be a big player in welding.
It is just not there yet.
The machines are expensive, the welds are weaker and for thin metals.
Not there yet.
is this as strong as regular welder
What would happen if you got an arc flash? Would it damage your eyes more than stick , Tig or mig?
Blindness
Technically the laser is simply concentrated light. No electricity at all so no arc flash risk!
Thank you so much for this. I have been doubtful purely due to the sudden advertising storm on hand held laser machines lately. None or at least very few of them answer questions we all want answers to. For me this one covered the all important penetration and I am officially sold. I want one badly.... The price though... :(
Anybody in the market for a kidney? Might be able to manage a lobe of a reasonably well maintained liver too, at a stretch.
Maybe we can do a bulk kidney offering so I can get one too? haha
Have to keep needs vs wants in mind too though right! Every tool has its pros and cons but really unless we have a specific commercial need for a specific tool, it is just a want and we can still do great things fabrication wise etc with other options. In this case, they might just take a little longer comparative to using a laser welder, but the doing part is what is important at the end of the day 😎
Well that's what I think anyway 😂 Happy welding no matter which machine you are using mate! - Taz.
I find a massive problem with this, The guy talking about and says that The heat affected zone is narrower which preserves the original properties. But that is not necessarily the point of welding. As when you apply heat and the filler metal, you will lose a little bit of structural strength to the parent metal. As the parent metal is sharing the strength capacity to the adjoining metal. Basically describing nothing more than a top weld lacking penetration. When welding, it's absolutely necessary to go slower on thicker metals This allows two medals to be joined together And mix. In a fast process other than with thin material. This is just not possible. The reason that the metal Heats up through electric arc welding As well as the reason that electricity is the method used. As the current passes through the parent metal becomes hot as well. This allows for fusion. How can you possibly fuse a cold metal to a hot metal. As well as how do you prevent impurities from getting in the weld. Anyone can tell you if they've ever used mig welders. There's a reason that mig is not used for Steal beams. In welding penetration is everything as well as bonding.
I think you are assuming because that is stated that no heat goes into the weld at all, which is not quite right. You still need heat to weld, the difference is this type of welding keeps it better confined to the working area rather than further out into your work piece.
If you have ever welded up exhaust headers and similar you will know half the battle is actually making sure you don't let that excess heat warp the work piece while you are working on it. That excess heat isn't giving you a better weld, it is damaging your work if you do not take time and extra steps to prevent it.
At the end of the day though there is no one welder to rule them all, every option has strengths and weaknesses, even your favourite and there are a whole range of applications, materials and thicknesses to consider when making the choice on what suits the work in front of your face at the time the best 😉 - Taz.
The laser is capable of reaching depth of penetration which is unachievable with typical arc processes. This is a totally different process from what you have experience with, and there is much to learn. Reach out to us at Serra Laser if you are curious to learn more.
For cosmetic stuff with no load needed in production its still more expensive in electricity. Price of argon is not going up these people just wanna sell stuff. You could probably modify a laser hair removal machine and tig with it. But its not for welds that need a serious load on them or pressure in them.
So the same tech that welded gen 2 gt40 chassis back in the day
Initially he said that this process could penetrate up to 1/4” but later when asked about pipe welding and beveling the ends, he said that no gap or bevel is necessary for joining pipe to pipe, and I would presume that would include pipe to fittings as well. That sounds absolutely ridiculous! I’ve welded pipes of all sizes, materials, schedules and processes and I can tell you that that’s absolutely baloney. The ONLY time in my career when I’ve ever had to weld without a bevel and or a gap, is when I’ve welded with orbital machines, or hand welded SS pharmaceutical grade piping. In those procedures the ends were machined square, with a special tool and butted together, purged and welded without any filler wire. And the pipes used in those situations have all been of a very thin thickness or schedule. What you’ve just implied would obviously not apply to every piping application.🤔🤔🤔
I have the ipg 1500. Same one he is using. It can only weld 1/8 material. When he said 1/4 that's if you weld on both sides of the part. No bevel is required when no wire is being used. With wire you need a small bevel and get way less penetration. Mig welding is faster than laser for sure. Don't know why he said laser is 4 times fast. When welding 14ga stainless it's an amazing machine but 1/8 or more I tig or mig weld the parts
Thanks for that info! Well explained. cheers
Cheers for the support, glad you enjoyed this one 😎 - Taz.
Is a 40 pound robin Big?
I think laser is faster but tig is more complex
as per customer it's favorable, but i don't know in the side of fabricator.
The downside to this process is definitely the cost. I work in high-energy lasers and the component costs are definitely not what's propping up the enormous cost of these systems. Almost 99% of the cost of these systems is R&D and profit markup. Until these companies start trying to make a reasonably-priced product aimed at a realistic market, instead of trying to get rich quick as a market front-runner, this won't see serious take-off. Unfortunately, the only people taking the affordability approach are the Chinese.
Welding about to be a minimum wage job soon. A 10 yr old could learn to use this thing in no time.
Thats true! 5 to 7 years from now welders will die out. True welders!
What’s it run
If you had access to both sides of the weld, could you weld 8-10mm aluminium plate? Thinking boat hull here...
Certainly.
Which type of weld is strongest of all weld
Depends on the welding job in front of you. There are a few different types of welding for this reason - Taz.
Pretty sure a laser has the capability to do microscopic welding. I'd like to see a needle plasma arc comparison.
Some Jewelers use lasers now. You can make a repair with the stones in place. You are probably talking about smaller than this. The future looks bright🙂
@@toddwilliams5905 A bit smaller but what you describe is indeed in the ballpark.
Thank you for the interview! How to protect lenses?
Laser welding needs a different type of visor to TIG welding to protect the lenses in your eyes if that's what you mean? Like TIG or MIG etc, you just need to purchase the right PPE for this specific equipment - Taz.
@@hpa101 I meant laser optical system. Is it necessary to protect it from the melted droplets? Thank you.
@@MercBenz-oc5fo different welders will have different designs, best you get in touch with whatever specific company provides the unit you're looking at noting laser welding is more comparable to TIG welding than MIG welding, with MIG welding having a lot more splatter etc than TIG or laser to the point it's not directly comparable when you're doing it all correctly - Taz.
How safe I wonder on the eyes is this machine ?
Not good. Use the applicable eye protection for laser welding 😎 - Taz.
why was he welding with only glasses for ppe? what about the potential of laser bounce that could burn skin???
You can wear more PPE than this if you wish to when laser welding. You don't have to do what others are or are not doing, you are an individual with your own brain.
If you are using a welder like this in a professional environment, talk to your employer about PPE noting you didn't mention fume extraction which can be very important in some applications too - Taz.
@hpa101 yes, fumes are a potential hazard as well. My struggle with seeing someone do this at an expo or show is that some people will not realize the dangers if they don't see the expert wearing the proper ppe for the hazards. Even the welding helmets are made with a special shield, so it is sad to me to watch something like this.
The risk to the skin is a reality as well. In this situation, an expert was in control, and those who were allowed to give the system a try were instructed of the risks and provided with proper PPE, as well as air filtration in the booth.
How do you weld pipe schedule 80 or 160 thick wall close square butt with full penetration as you said don’t need any bevel preparation ? I’m talking close square butt well with thickness over 20mm .
What is the motorsport application you are using this for?
I'd put questions like this to the supplier to make sure you are getting the right tool for your application. Ask a few of them. It's also a good way to get a feel for the support of a company before you purchase anything too - Taz.
The laser welder penetrated deeply into the material by making a "keyhole" which penetrates very deep into the material. The heat is more focused, and the energy density is 200x that of an arc weld so you are inputting the heat only where it is needed.
So, laser welding is tig welding for mig welders? That's what I got. It could be a faster welding over tig but production tigs guys are crazy fast as well.
No arguing with the speed of skilled tig welders, but the tig process cannot reach the speeds of laser when both are optimized.
trying to get a quote the site aint making it very streamlined
Not something we can help with sorry. We're just talking laser welders here, we don't sell them ourselves.
Serra do have prices listed but perhaps give them a call if you have questions beyond that. Having a chat can be a good way to get a feel for a company too - Taz,
www.serralaser.com/
There are 3 areas to a weld. 1 mechanical 2. metallurgical and 3. cosmetic. There is nothing a laser can do to improve those 3 areas. Laser welding does improve the HAZ and will take welding from an art form to a science.
I have a feeling that this guy has never welded in his life.... I don't see this being using in piping shops to make pressure piping....
Sounds more like you have never welded anything other than 'pressure piping' in your life 😅
As it is a TIG is not used for every and any welding application and it will be the same for laser welding just as it is also MIG and Arc. It will take over in some areas, and already has, but unlikely all 😎- Taz.
What is the 045 welding wire he is reffering to ( min 6:20 )?
1.2mm weldiung wire, same as with a MIG
I can use it as a Lightsaber
nice
you could weld with a common desktop laser cutter-engraver too
Can this technology be adapted to the auto body industry?
I'd have a chat to your chosen seller about what you need from a unit like this and they can help you figure out if it is going to suit you or if your current setup is still a better option - TAz.
Yes, we have done testing on this and it has immense benefits. Many large OEM collision centers have adopted this already, with the benefit of low distortion, and no effect on electrical systems.
Do you need to increase the preheat temp on account of lower heat inputs for materials like thicker CrMoV's...?
No, the laser is capable of inputting more than enough heat, it is just very focused. The energy density at the point of weld is 200x that of an arc weld, so the heat is just not being input where it is not needed. In fact, many applications where a preheat would be required for tig or mig, it is not with the laser.
@@EvanShea-uv8jo Thanks Evan. Is that reognised by any fabrication code..? Lower PH temps for laser process...
@@EvanShea-uv8jo Where can I read more on lower PH temps for the laser process Evan...
@@paulmeersa7162the lower or lack of preheat is just something that I have found after dealing with these systems for the last 3 years. I have done testing on hundreds of varying applications, and done a bit of research myself. The welding codes will catch up but it is fairly new to the handheld welding industry. However aerospace specifications have been made for handheld laser already, and there is a lot of this going on with the rockets going to space these days.
do i get x-ray weld result
Only if you x-ray your welds - Taz.
There are tons of studies with Xray on laser welding easily available with a quick google search.
Did not say anything about the strength of the laser weld
You're right, we didn't. Just like MIG, TIG and other welding options, when done correctly in the correct way for the material, it should be as strong or stronger than the parent material.
From there you need to get material specific when comparing one welding option to another - Taz.