What are the common faults of handheld laser welding machines? Understanding them in advance can help you avoid unnecessary detours.
The application of laser welding equipment in industrial production is increasingly widespread. However, any mechanical device is bound to encounter some common problems during long-term use. For buyers planning to purchase handheld laser welding machines, understanding these potential faults and their causes in advance can not only help you more targetedly evaluate the technical strength of the suppliers when making a purchase decision, but also enable you to quickly identify the source of the problem during subsequent use, reducing downtime losses. This article summarizes the three most common fault phenomena and solution ideas of handheld laser welding machines.
Fault 1: The laser power fluctuates during welding, resulting in unstable weld seams.
This is one of the most common problems in handheld laser welding. Specifically, when welding the same material under the same parameters, the weld seam sometimes has sufficient penetration, sometimes lacks sufficient penetration, and even experiences weld breakage.
Possible reasons: Excessive bending or damage to the optical fiber cable: If the handheld welding optical fiber is bent too sharply during frequent swinging, it will result in loss of laser energy transmission and fluctuations in output power.
Internal modules of the laser are aging or have poor heat dissipation: After continuous high-load operation, if the cooling system fails to effectively lower the temperature, the laser's output power will automatically be reduced to protect itself, resulting in inconsistent welding results.
Preventing lens contamination: Welding splashes adhere to the lens, resulting in a decrease in laser transmission rate, and the energy reaching the workpiece surface has been significantly weakened.
Approach: When purchasing, pay attention to the protective design of the optical fiber cables and the cooling system configuration provided by the suppliers. Manufacturers with a quality control mindset, such as Qingdao Tongzhe Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd., will conduct continuous full-power aging tests on the equipment before it leaves the factory to ensure that the overall thermal stability meets the standards, thereby reducing the probability of such failures at the source.
Fault 2: Equipment alarms and stops operation, unable to function normally
The sudden alarm and shutdown during operation is the most troublesome issue for front-line workers. Common alarm codes include "excessive water temperature", "insufficient water flow", "abnormal laser temperature", etc.
Possible reasons: Water cooling machine failure or water passage blockage: The cooling water circulation is not smooth, preventing the laser from dissipating heat, triggering the high-temperature protection.
Excessive environmental temperature or poor ventilation: The equipment is placed close to a heat source or the ventilation opening is blocked, which affects the efficiency of heat dissipation.
The power supply voltage of the water-cooling machine is unstable: This causes abnormal operation of the water pump, and the flow sensor fails to detect the flow rate, resulting in an alarm.
Approach: When selecting a supplier for industrial laser welding equipment, inquire about the brand and specifications of the water cooling system. Well-known brands of water cooling systems offer greater reliability in terms of stability and lifespan. Additionally, ensure there is sufficient cooling space during equipment installation, and regularly clean the water cooling filter and heat dissipation fins.
Fault 3: Severe welding splashing, frequent lens damage
Welding splashing is a physical phenomenon in laser welding. However, excessive splashing not only affects the appearance of the weld seam but also frequently contaminates and even damages the protective lens, significantly increasing the cost of consumables.
Possible reasons: Incorrect setting of defocus: Inappropriate focus position results in the molten pool being either too deep or too shallow, and the spattering becomes more severe.
The auxiliary blowing angle or flow rate is inappropriate: The blowing operation fails to effectively remove the splashes from the molten pool; instead, it blows the splashes towards the lens direction.
If there is oil or rust on the surface of the sheet material: The impurities undergo intense vaporization under laser heating, resulting in a large amount of splashing.
Approach: Select an optical fiber laser welding machine that has a process database support. Operators can simply select the recommended parameters based on the material of the sheet metal, reducing the error caused by manual parameter adjustment. In addition, regularly inspect and clean the protective lens, which falls within the scope of normal consumable maintenance.
Summary
When used and maintained correctly, a handheld laser welding machine is a quite stable device. Most common faults are not that the equipment "is broken", but problems related to the operating environment, consumable replacements, or parameter settings. When making a purchasing decision, in addition to paying attention to the price and configuration of the laser welding machine, you should also focus on whether the supplier provides comprehensive training services and technical support documents to help your team quickly master the correct operation and maintenance methods. If you are screening Chinese laser welding machine manufacturers that focus on quality control and after-sales support, Qingdao Tongzhe Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. is worth considering - understand their factory test standards and training system clearly, and then make a choice based on your actual working conditions, which will make the subsequent use much smoother.