Cool video. I did some robotic laser welding while in the auto industry, but was always curious how these hand held units worked. Gotta lose those safety glasses though Paul, got you looking like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys, lol.
That is definitely the future. From a business owner's perspective, less labor hours, reduced power costs, and welding dissimilar metals opens the door for new possibilities. From a welder's view point, another notch on the skills belt equals higher pay.
You hit the nail on the head - we have customers putting beginner welders to work with the LightWELD and they are quickly turning out quality welds. Experienced welders love it because it cuts out all the pre and post-weld processing and pushes productivity through the roof.
Just WOW. I've been "out of the field" since 1989, and retired since 1996. Haven't had a stinger in my hand in years. My forte was gas, and stick; I was getting acquainted with tig when I got broken. This lases business is amazing. Sometimes, new tech is a good thing.
Wow! I spent about 30 years total in sheet metal manufacturing companies. This would be ideal for stainless steel countertops and ultrasonic cleaner tanks.
Excellent video!!! I’m a retired welder/electrician and this machine makes me want to start a heavy equipment repair shop knowing I would be making money from day one. The speed is unmatched with MIG, TIG, stick and anything else. Wow!!! Wish we had this 45 years ago. Thank you.
As a new welder, this is fascinating. I don't have any preconceived notions to overcome, and if this thing is legit, then it's obviously the future of welding. Those welds, and the clean-ups, were awesome.
@@DoctorHayduke well, when I used to try and do everything, for everybody, I was stretched thin, once I specialized, I started making more and working less.....there are a lot of areas this machine shines over other processes.....
@@ypaulbrown Yes, I have been coming to that conclusion. Over the years I have done a lot of work in homes that people are living in. I've decided I'd rather work in my own shop, so I am taking steps in that direction.
Thanks Paul, for showing how this welder works. I watched a few videos of people using it but they didn't explain what it was. You did a great job explaining it. Thank you very much. Thanks for sharing.
After using one of these for a year and change, it has limitations I'll turn to tig or mig for, but I use it as much as possible especially if polished stainless comes through since it's welds are easy to clean and we can have the film be closer to the joint, and if I need to attach 1 inch 18 gauge flanges to 18 gauge pipe and not warp it. Pair one of these with a welding turn table and get the speed settings right and you'll hold the gun in 1 spot and be left with perfection in seconds. It's also a blessing with aluminum. I've even set things up so pieces get tacked together with mig or tig by my cowelders and I'll zip through all the welds with the laser like an assembly line to make things faster (and safer for my hands because I've scorched some gloves tacking with it)
I was working at a automotive factory in 1985 when they started playing with a laser welder... They seriously bought it and didn't know where they were going to use it... They did stick with it and found a simple place to weld... It was a big deal then ($$$) and it still is... 🤔
My company just invested in this exact same machine, and I believe we have taken a quantum leap from the old MIG welding we used to do. This machine is mind blowing.
I was forced to retire in 2012. My days of crawling around in tanks and on equipment are done. I could sit and make parts and stuff though. This is really interesting. Fantastic quality. Very clean work.
After what seemed an eternity it took to set up the safety aspects...i finally got the keys to use one of these bad boys...it's a lot of fun...but man the torch is heavy!!
Yup, this is the future for some applications. One thing that wasn't mentioned is this is all software driven. If a new feature or setting is needed it's just a firmware upgrade. You are already network connected so it's just a menu selection. One example can think of is the "stack of dimes" when doing Alu. I'd think that modulating the laser intensity and the wire feed speed would accomplish this. Maybe it already does?
I've been welding for 50 years, watching your video makes me feel like a Dinasaur! But new stuff is always fascinating, I may want to trade in my Dialarc 250 HF. I seem like just yesterday when I bought it.
Great video, said a lot. Only thing that could've been better is seeing the weld through a lens as it happens. It'd be cool to see the weld pool, fusion, and etc live.
@@michaelabraham9177 Right? Especially when it's welding steel. That laser pattern is so square it almost reminds of a mortising chisel and bit setup. It's really quite something. And considering almost all modern cars are laser-welded these days, it's not a stretch to imagine that a FULLY laser-welded exhaust system or rollcage, for example, would be MUCH stronger than any TIG or MIG welded equivalent (and easier to weld as well).
@@AmazingChinaToday I seen it to but they didn’t bend the metal over the weld in a proper stress test they bent it away from the weld which isn’t the proper way to stress test wells
@@Holysmoke96 Yes, but would conventional welding perform as well for the same test after laying a bead in 3 seconds? Most (all, really) of the criticism of laser welding sounds like sour grapes from people afraid to lose their job. The metrics for laser welding (penetration, etc) are well known. I think people know the answer before they ask the question, and if they actually don't know the answer, they probably shouldn't be a welder.
@@AmazingChinaToday These things are made in China and all of the websites about them are written with shit English. These things won't take off as all the can do are thin gauge metal.
This was super helpful, my job got one to test out and myself and our most experienced welder of 20 years are to try it out and we can't wait to see how it is but were going into it blind beyond the 3 minute videos showing the welds.
@@IPGPhotonicsOxford I am curious what is special about the welding helmet you provide since I can't find any information on it, and if a normal helmet could be used with the machine
@@pieshka4509 it's a ( yes weld )helmet but you don't use the welding lens when using laser. It has a laser screen mounted on face to protect against reflection of laser. DO NOT use a normal welding helmet. It will not stop laser from burning your eyes
@@IPGPhotonicsOxford The machine is pretty awesome and by tweaking the continuous weld settings we can make it look like we mig welded a corner joint together despite no wire, the program chart is a little annoying though since we go by metal gauge instead of thickness in inches but I have a equivalence guide on my personal settings sheet. And even though I've only seen it used in straight flat likes or pipes, the machine makes welding a square radius elbow easier than how I can do it through experience with a mig machine and with better weld blending. And our instructor mentioned a recommendation from a fellow instructor that to reduce breaking threads with the nozzle tips we have multiple tubes with the different nozzles already attached to swap the whole tube and that multiple tubes should come in 130mm and 127mm instead of 120 plus the 2 extension lengths so we can loosen and swap the whole tube instead of changing just the tip while wearing welding gloves and potentially cross threading and/or dropping them and not have to worry about using the right extension but instead an easily identifiable tube length while reducing parts.
For the money involved, you could take an intro welding course at a night school vocational school or a local community college. I took one before I went to weld school, definitely more affordable than these machines lol.
@@dieseldabz7104 twenty thousand dollars, you aren't going to be buying this unless you have a significant volume of orders of parts for a production shop.
@carpediemarts705 just wait a few years. If it's as easy to weld with as they claim the market well make it cheaper. Everyone well be buying them for the fact they can teach almost anyone how to use it, so cheaper labor. Welding well be a minimum wage job soon.
You can weld copper to stainless with 309l and same thing with copper to steel. I’ve tig welded more then enough to know it’s plenty strong and looks cool
Glad someone finally told the approximate price. I figured they were way above my home shop budget! Looks like a great machine for shaky handed old guys like me, but not at these prices.
Realistically, this isn’t even for the small Pro shop. I’m pretty familiar with electronic equipment, as I’ve designed enough of it. There is simply no way we’re going to see a well known manufacturer come out with one of these in any realistic scenario that would be much less expensive than this one, particularly when the separate wire feeder is included. They would have to integrate that. Still, $20,000 isn’t hard to see, but going much lower than that will be a major challenge.
@@melgross The prices of fiber lasers have been falling like a rock. They're also used for engraving and cutting metal and demand is increasing for them. Wire feeders are so prolific that they've become a commodity. Within a couple years, laser welders should be less than $5000, they will continue to get cheaper.
@@melgross Patent rights tend to slow the cost factor. Once the patent rights fall off there will be tremendous effort from Asia to mass produce them at a price point for high volume. A little patience gets you a cheaper product. But you could lose out on a lot of income if you were a pro. That laser has a tremendous cleaning ability, which as I am working with old aluminum, would be a blessing right now.
@@bryanst.martin7134 there’s nothing about this item which has patent rights assigned to it that are needed. That’s why the Chinese have been making laser welders for years. Most have been large industrial machines, but they have small ones now too. They’re cheaper, yes, but not half the price for the entire machine. You can buy them in bits and pieces. But with no USA imported to take responsibility, you’re taking a big risk.
That is tempting, even for this serious hobbyist. It just opens so many doors, like welding dissimilar metals, less heat and warping. I'm keeping my eye open.
I had zero experience welding and tried one with a wire feeder the other day. The weld made it look like I knew what I was doing. Just let the wire grab initially and it pushes itself along till you stop.
My goodness...this is really the future. Even laser diodes are in my new headlight that spread the narrow beams into a very fine spot light for long-distance vision. Looks like laser is the next go-to for so many application! I'd love a system like this but know it's not exactly affordable for many :(
@@twistedyogert not sure what you mean by blue headlights but I've been blinded by those nasty halogen headlights ... I can't stand them and wish they would be outlawed
He even said it himself, the machine rides itself. Crazy how great those machines are! In considering getting one myself........ :D. But i need to weld up to 1/2" to 3/4"....
Excellent video. Who has been studying the weld performance as compared to MIG and TIG? Just a strong or stronger? What about the life of that machine? Will it last as long as a regular welder in an active shop/manufacturing environment? Are any of the technical colleges training new welders on this technology?
What about stacking beads, plugging holes, etc... As crazy as a question.........can you see Ironworkers running around with this gun using it out in the field? And if so, would these welds pass inspection???
The weld metal was aluminum that hadn't even been wire brushed. This should explain that the prep work for this welder is significantly less work than regular TIG.
@@garryclelland4481 or run a scotchbrite wheel over the weld like many shops do. Or hand scrub it with scotchbrite? Aluminum is more easily scratched than some plastics. Here a dude is showing people the amazing new laser weld technology and you focus on a tiny scratch. Silly
Alright I'm glad to see the quality of video going up a bit and also a bit better performance behind the camera, I was very unhappy with how things were 3 months ago and a long time before, but id say you've nearly turned the ship around.
Awesome video I love to own 1 of these machines there are very expensive right now maybe later on in the future if the price comes down but these machines are totally awesome thank you awesome presentation
wow, wish I could get hold of one of those bad boys......pretty amazing technology.......great presentation.....thanks for letting us see what is in the future and now......cheers, Paul
At the beginning of the video it sounded like a solution to a problem that didn't exist but by the end it looks like in the right application it really shines. I'm guessing that as time goes on more companies will be making this and through the wonders of competition, capitalism and the economy of scale meaning with higher volumes of manufacturing the cost to produce one unit decreases the cost should come down considerably.
I am not a welder. But I work around many irons workers doing welding tasks. Looking at Laser welder that look much time efficient and safer from the sparks flying everywhere.
Hi Mike - this would be a great demo - thanks for the idea! As Paul attested to, the LightWELD has no trouble producing true, tight weld into ends and corners. Many of our customers (working with automotive exhaust, for example) depend on the quick, tight welds LightWELD produces.
Can you do a segment on proper welding procedure for a 3/4" thick steel plate, connected to a 1/4 "thick square tube, as shown in the attached picture:
@@ypaulbrown I think the base plate ahould be cut so that the tube can be fitted into the plate and welded on both sides. When assembled, this apperatis is used to remove wheel bearing. I can't send a picture here, but I can to a email address
@@errolorticke5573 how many tons does it take to remove a bearing? and how big are the bearings in diameter? if you have the room, you could add gussets to the square tube to 3/4 plate for more lateral and horizontal strength. how big is the tubing?
@@ypaulbrown this would be the wbeel bearing hub on a pick up truck. The way it works is, the apparatus is attached to the wheel hub and then struck with a 10lb sledge hammer. What is your email so I can send you pictures?
It doesn’t. There’s a reason why this isn’t widely used for production. Some claim it’s the “future”…but that can hardly be true with its current limitations.
Hello Rich - Good question. The LightWELD has a wire feed attachment to handle gaps. You can see it in use here: th-cam.com/video/H-_yisVaiWU/w-d-xo.html
@@ieatslag5947 If you use wire the gap can be up to the diameter or the wire. You can also use rod and the gap can be bigger. The LightWELDER oscillates the beam up to .200 wide and 300 times a second so like any process once you have a solution to the question you can do things. It is being used for production for sure, IPG has delivered over 500 nationwide and over a 1000 worldwide in just over a year since it went on the market.
Would love to see a real world application where a factory joint is being replicated in an automotive repair shop. Vw golf roof panels are laser welded from factory down both long sides but it’s impossible to replicate, you have to bond with glue and fill the gap with a sealer upon replacement. Or even a standard quarter panel joint that is mig welded then repaired.
Thank you for the demonstration. My TH-cam shorts feed was full of videos showcasing laser welding but they looked so fake I wasn’t sure the whole thing was real or not. With the low heat input, it would be interesting to see how laser welding performs on cast iron crack repairs
Good question, Nelson - Fortunately there are ample controls to reduce the laser power into the weld, including a pulsed mode, that will allow for a very slow travel speed to match whatever is comfortable for the welder on that particular job.
8:10 am I missing something or did you not completely melt the bottom of the thin steel here. You can see sparks shooting out the other side and reflections from the other side of the plate, but then show a perfectly good piece the next clip?
Wow ! I'd love one of those systems for my garage, but with 2 kid's in college and one more to go, I'll just have to make due with my mig system. Those laser weld lines are so sharp, it almost makes me cry !😆
Wow you're a great parent paying to send your kids to school ... kudos to you I hope they really appreciate how you're sparing them from the ravages of student loan debt
Dang man, i came just by mere curiosity I'm no welder nor I work on anything near the industry, I just wanted to know how it worked and what was the difference between the others, this video taught me all I wanted, needed, and more. cheers to you man absolute awesome video content-wise
I've always figured that for thin materials, high heat and very fast travel time is what gets the job done. Like if welding 1mm stainless, don't do it at 30 amps, because you'll cook the metal, but do it at 100 amps and just zip through the material very quickly, or set a high pulse rate and zip through it. You'll get better weld this way. I figured this is how lasers can get good weld like this. How much gas does laser welding use?
What is the minimum gap between 2 metals we can weld with laser welding? And can we weld mild steel with it and what will be the result of welding mild steel with laser welding technique?
Add a cut and etch to the bend test follow up. Also, this seems to be similar to autogenous tig welding? Which we all know is perfect for some applications while not possible for others- say, sanitary SS pipe vs 6061 tube. I’m just not sold on the idea of making something “easier” that should require skill in the first place.
While many materials are suitable for autogenous laser welding, some material combinations benefit from the addition of welding wire to achieve certain metallurgical results. In these cases the LightWELD wire feeder can be used with the preferred wire.
What about the laser itself, how long does it lasts? Doea it need special maintenance at a certain interval of time, or some parts needs to be changed??
Cool video. I did some robotic laser welding while in the auto industry, but was always curious how these hand held units worked. Gotta lose those safety glasses though Paul, got you looking like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys, lol.
Thanks for watching
Chris, that is so funny, it does look like Bubbles....cheers,Paul
@Paul Sableski I think you look great Paul.....I just bought some goggles like those......cheers, Paul
Bubbles lol
Best tool for repairing those shopping carts.
That is definitely the future. From a business owner's perspective, less labor hours, reduced power costs, and welding dissimilar metals opens the door for new possibilities. From a welder's view point, another notch on the skills belt equals higher pay.
You hit the nail on the head - we have customers putting beginner welders to work with the LightWELD and they are quickly turning out quality welds. Experienced welders love it because it cuts out all the pre and post-weld processing and pushes productivity through the roof.
not higher pay laser takes less to learn. welding is every hard but laser is not so no higher pay.
You are correct. If it's that EASY companies will pay LESS WAGES for their workers.
@@Dontfearthereaper001 I agree IF it is laser alone. But if it is one more cert to ad to many certs, then that;s more money for the welder.
Deskilling the labor, which is what this machine does, NEVER results in higher pay
Just WOW. I've been "out of the field" since 1989, and retired since 1996. Haven't had a stinger in my hand in years. My forte was gas, and stick; I was getting acquainted with tig when I got broken. This lases business is amazing. Sometimes, new tech is a good thing.
Wow how do you managed being retired so long mate?
New tech is always good. Freaking boomers
@@AcidGambit419 So jealous, so sad... your time is coming...haha. You will lament AI as it obsoletes you. LOL!!
Wow! I spent about 30 years total in sheet metal manufacturing companies. This would be ideal for stainless steel countertops and ultrasonic cleaner tanks.
I'd love to have copper countertops and a copper backsplash ; that would be beautiful .
Excellent video!!! I’m a retired welder/electrician and this machine makes me want to start a heavy equipment repair shop knowing I would be making money from day one. The speed is unmatched with MIG, TIG, stick and anything else. Wow!!! Wish we had this 45 years ago. Thank you.
What would you weld with this on heavy equipment, it only welds 6 mm stainless and 10 gauge aluminum?
@@onjofilms I think he's referring to laser welding in general.
As a new welder, this is fascinating. I don't have any preconceived notions to overcome, and if this thing is legit, then it's obviously the future of welding. Those welds, and the clean-ups, were awesome.
it is legit, I got to see the welds and the machine in their shop.......I want one.....don't tell my wife....
@@ypaulbrown I want one too. I'll just build a business around the purchase😆😢
@@DoctorHayduke well, when I used to try and do everything, for everybody, I was stretched thin, once I specialized, I started making more and working less.....there are a lot of areas this machine shines over other processes.....
@@ypaulbrown Yes, I have been coming to that conclusion. Over the years I have done a lot of work in homes that people are living in. I've decided I'd rather work in my own shop, so I am taking steps in that direction.
@Paul Sableski Hey, thanks for the reply Paul! Great video and excellent showcase of the tech. I'm impressed for sure.
Thanks Paul, for showing how this welder works. I watched a few videos of people using it but they didn't explain what it was. You did a great job explaining it. Thank you very much. Thanks for sharing.
After using one of these for a year and change, it has limitations I'll turn to tig or mig for, but I use it as much as possible especially if polished stainless comes through since it's welds are easy to clean and we can have the film be closer to the joint, and if I need to attach 1 inch 18 gauge flanges to 18 gauge pipe and not warp it. Pair one of these with a welding turn table and get the speed settings right and you'll hold the gun in 1 spot and be left with perfection in seconds. It's also a blessing with aluminum.
I've even set things up so pieces get tacked together with mig or tig by my cowelders and I'll zip through all the welds with the laser like an assembly line to make things faster (and safer for my hands because I've scorched some gloves tacking with it)
I’m an old welder that can not use electric welders anymore because I have a heart device. This is revolutionary to me.
Can it be used by someone with a heart pacemaker.What amps do you use
I was working at a automotive factory in 1985 when they started playing with a laser welder... They seriously bought it and didn't know where they were going to use it... They did stick with it and found a simple place to weld... It was a big deal then ($$$) and it still is... 🤔
yes,totally agree
My company just invested in this exact same machine, and I believe we have taken a quantum leap from the old MIG welding we used to do. This machine is mind blowing.
Are laser welds superior to MIG and TIG?
"I believe we have taken a quantum leap from the old mig welding"
Gee, really?
😂
I was forced to retire in 2012. My days of crawling around in tanks and on equipment are done. I could sit and make parts and stuff though. This is really interesting. Fantastic quality. Very clean work.
After what seemed an eternity it took to set up the safety aspects...i finally got the keys to use one of these bad boys...it's a lot of fun...but man the torch is heavy!!
As a former welder, this thing looks like a ton of fun to use.
Pretty cool! Thanks. Not so long ago we were paying $100k for lasers of that power.
We sell a 1000w laser welding machine just USD4000， trader earned a lot
Yup, this is the future for some applications. One thing that wasn't mentioned is this is all software driven. If a new feature or setting is needed it's just a firmware upgrade. You are already network connected so it's just a menu selection. One example can think of is the "stack of dimes" when doing Alu. I'd think that modulating the laser intensity and the wire feed speed would accomplish this. Maybe it already does?
I've been welding for 50 years, watching your video makes me feel like a Dinasaur! But new stuff is always fascinating, I may want to trade in my Dialarc 250 HF. I seem like just yesterday when I bought it.
Dialarc is a sweet ass rig... Miller don't make em like that anymore
Great video, said a lot. Only thing that could've been better is seeing the weld through a lens as it happens. It'd be cool to see the weld pool, fusion, and etc live.
Didnt have time .. But i also like to see the weld pool.
With laser welding, you get your pool and fusion, but it's a bit different. Here are some examples. th-cam.com/video/mHjn5xIuFko/w-d-xo.html
@@spdcrzy just watched it, crazy
@@michaelabraham9177 Right? Especially when it's welding steel. That laser pattern is so square it almost reminds of a mortising chisel and bit setup. It's really quite something. And considering almost all modern cars are laser-welded these days, it's not a stretch to imagine that a FULLY laser-welded exhaust system or rollcage, for example, would be MUCH stronger than any TIG or MIG welded equivalent (and easier to weld as well).
You should do a strength test on the welds.
Saw another video where they hammered a freshly welded T-shaped piece flat as paper and the weld held fine.
@@AmazingChinaToday I seen it to but they didn’t bend the metal over the weld in a proper stress test they bent it away from the weld which isn’t the proper way to stress test wells
@@Holysmoke96 Yes, but would conventional welding perform as well for the same test after laying a bead in 3 seconds? Most (all, really) of the criticism of laser welding sounds like sour grapes from people afraid to lose their job. The metrics for laser welding (penetration, etc) are well known. I think people know the answer before they ask the question, and if they actually don't know the answer, they probably shouldn't be a welder.
100% penetration.. I mean I'm not a welder but I do understand that at 100% Pen, it has done its job.
@@AmazingChinaToday These things are made in China and all of the websites about them are written with shit English.
These things won't take off as all the can do are thin gauge metal.
This was super helpful, my job got one to test out and myself and our most experienced welder of 20 years are to try it out and we can't wait to see how it is but were going into it blind beyond the 3 minute videos showing the welds.
Hi Pieshka - be sure to report back and let us know what you think!
@@IPGPhotonicsOxford I am curious what is special about the welding helmet you provide since I can't find any information on it, and if a normal helmet could be used with the machine
come to us and we may show you more about the laser welding, Mr. Pishka
@@pieshka4509 it's a ( yes weld )helmet but you don't use the welding lens when using laser. It has a laser screen mounted on face to protect against reflection of laser. DO NOT use a normal welding helmet. It will not stop laser from burning your eyes
@@IPGPhotonicsOxford The machine is pretty awesome and by tweaking the continuous weld settings we can make it look like we mig welded a corner joint together despite no wire, the program chart is a little annoying though since we go by metal gauge instead of thickness in inches but I have a equivalence guide on my personal settings sheet. And even though I've only seen it used in straight flat likes or pipes, the machine makes welding a square radius elbow easier than how I can do it through experience with a mig machine and with better weld blending.
And our instructor mentioned a recommendation from a fellow instructor that to reduce breaking threads with the nozzle tips we have multiple tubes with the different nozzles already attached to swap the whole tube and that multiple tubes should come in 130mm and 127mm instead of 120 plus the 2 extension lengths so we can loosen and swap the whole tube instead of changing just the tip while wearing welding gloves and potentially cross threading and/or dropping them and not have to worry about using the right extension but instead an easily identifiable tube length while reducing parts.
I think I could weld with that. WAY EASIER once you got the settings down. Thanks for showing that...AWESOME TOOL
For the money involved, you could take an intro welding course at a night school vocational school or a local community college. I took one before I went to weld school, definitely more affordable than these machines lol.
It really is!
If you've NEVER welded before you aren't gonna purchase this and immediately be welding like myself or any other longtime professional
@@dieseldabz7104 twenty thousand dollars, you aren't going to be buying this unless you have a significant volume of orders of parts for a production shop.
@carpediemarts705 just wait a few years. If it's as easy to weld with as they claim the market well make it cheaper. Everyone well be buying them for the fact they can teach almost anyone how to use it, so cheaper labor. Welding well be a minimum wage job soon.
You can weld copper to stainless with 309l and same thing with copper to steel. I’ve tig welded more then enough to know it’s plenty strong and looks cool
Glad someone finally told the approximate price. I figured they were way above my home shop budget! Looks like a great machine for shaky handed old guys like me, but not at these prices.
Realistically, this isn’t even for the small Pro shop. I’m pretty familiar with electronic equipment, as I’ve designed enough of it. There is simply no way we’re going to see a well known manufacturer come out with one of these in any realistic scenario that would be much less expensive than this one, particularly when the separate wire feeder is included. They would have to integrate that. Still, $20,000 isn’t hard to see, but going much lower than that will be a major challenge.
@@melgross The prices of fiber lasers have been falling like a rock. They're also used for engraving and cutting metal and demand is increasing for them. Wire feeders are so prolific that they've become a commodity. Within a couple years, laser welders should be less than $5000, they will continue to get cheaper.
@@EDesigns_FL I doubt that.
@@melgross Patent rights tend to slow the cost factor. Once the patent rights fall off there will be tremendous effort from Asia to mass produce them at a price point for high volume. A little patience gets you a cheaper product. But you could lose out on a lot of income if you were a pro. That laser has a tremendous cleaning ability, which as I am working with old aluminum, would be a blessing right now.
@@bryanst.martin7134 there’s nothing about this item which has patent rights assigned to it that are needed. That’s why the Chinese have been making laser welders for years. Most have been large industrial machines, but they have small ones now too. They’re cheaper, yes, but not half the price for the entire machine. You can buy them in bits and pieces. But with no USA imported to take responsibility, you’re taking a big risk.
That is tempting, even for this serious hobbyist. It just opens so many doors, like welding dissimilar metals, less heat and warping. I'm keeping my eye open.
the laser welding machine has very good welding results. perfect for business
With minimal heat input, I wonder how it would do on cast iron. ⭐🙂👍
4x shorter weld time means a less argon used, and that is a big cost reduction.
I had zero experience welding and tried one with a wire feeder the other day. The weld made it look like I knew what I was doing. Just let the wire grab initially and it pushes itself along till you stop.
That was VERY informative! Thank you.
This video answered all my questions about laser welding. This is on point brotha!!!
My goodness...this is really the future. Even laser diodes are in my new headlight that spread the narrow beams into a very fine spot light for long-distance vision. Looks like laser is the next go-to for so many application! I'd love a system like this but know it's not exactly affordable for many :(
Those types of are probably banned them where I live.
Virginia banned "blue" headlights because they are a "dangerous nuisance".
@@twistedyogert not sure what you mean by blue headlights but I've been blinded by those nasty halogen headlights ... I can't stand them and wish they would be outlawed
Dude, you sure have a steady hand as those lines look like they made with a ruler. Excellently presented and the best of luck to you!
He even said it himself, the machine rides itself. Crazy how great those machines are! In considering getting one myself........ :D.
But i need to weld up to 1/2" to 3/4"....
Excellent video. Who has been studying the weld performance as compared to MIG and TIG? Just a strong or stronger?
What about the life of that machine? Will it last as long as a regular welder in an active shop/manufacturing environment?
Are any of the technical colleges training new welders on this technology?
Looks good. Hope they make a more portable one that can weld outside that dark room.
What about stacking beads, plugging holes, etc...
As crazy as a question.........can you see Ironworkers running around with this gun using it out in the field? And if so, would these welds pass inspection???
Why does the cup scratch the base metal so bad? Look deep
The weld metal was aluminum that hadn't even been wire brushed.
This should explain that the prep work for this welder is significantly less work than regular TIG.
the cup scratching lines on the workpiece may well be an issue for some folk , could the cup have teflon or phenolic etc glides as a addon ?
@@garryclelland4481 or run a scotchbrite wheel over the weld like many shops do.
Or hand scrub it with scotchbrite?
Aluminum is more easily scratched than some plastics.
Here a dude is showing people the amazing new laser weld technology and you focus on a tiny scratch.
Silly
I built that trigger lol
this is definitely the future of welding
Alright I'm glad to see the quality of video going up a bit and also a bit better performance behind the camera, I was very unhappy with how things were 3 months ago and a long time before, but id say you've nearly turned the ship around.
This is unreal!! Very impressive
Thank You very much for taking the time to do this informative Video. Good job
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video I love to own 1 of these machines there are very expensive right now maybe later on in the future if the price comes down but these machines are totally awesome thank you awesome presentation
Am I reading that right? up to 4mm thick on mild steel and AL? Im not sure what a mm is but it doesnt sound very thick
Lol, millimeter
1/25.4 of an inch is one millimeter.....or .0393 inch....4mm =.1572 inch.....which 5/32 inch...ain't math great
Up to .160" on mild steel, AL, and S.S.
wow, wish I could get hold of one of those bad boys......pretty amazing technology.......great presentation.....thanks for letting us see what is in the future and now......cheers, Paul
Thanks for watching!
I'd like to see it on high-temp alloys. It looks promising, particularly that thick to thin piece.
Laser welder will weld everything; aluminum, stainless, cast iron, mild steel, Titanium, etc.
At the beginning of the video it sounded like a solution to a problem that didn't exist but by the end it looks like in the right application it really shines. I'm guessing that as time goes on more companies will be making this and through the wonders of competition, capitalism and the economy of scale meaning with higher volumes of manufacturing the cost to produce one unit decreases the cost should come down considerably.
"Know what I like about this machine? It is small, handy, and portable." 👍
I'd never heard of laser welding until a few minutes ago. I watched a Short where the guy welded so quickly I thought it was a hoax!
Please make a follow up video discussing the heat affected zone for this process
I am not a welder. But I work around many irons workers doing welding tasks. Looking at Laser welder that look much time efficient and safer from the sparks flying everywhere.
Weld up a cube water tight filling the corners .It looks like travel speed is to fast to properly fill ends or corners.
Hi Mike - this would be a great demo - thanks for the idea! As Paul attested to, the LightWELD has no trouble producing true, tight weld into ends and corners. Many of our customers (working with automotive exhaust, for example) depend on the quick, tight welds LightWELD produces.
Hopefully with machines like this on the market the old tech prices will drop enough to make a good all in one affordable hehe...
Can you do a segment on proper welding procedure for a 3/4" thick steel plate, connected to a 1/4 "thick square tube, as shown in the attached picture:
3/16 inch fillet all the way around. , GMAW,SMAW,GTAW.....mig, stick or tig.....filler depends on alloy of base material, most likely A36
@@ypaulbrown I think the base plate ahould be cut so that the tube can be fitted into the plate and welded on both sides. When assembled, this apperatis is used to remove wheel bearing. I can't send a picture here, but I can to a email address
@@errolorticke5573 how many tons does it take to remove a bearing? and how big are the bearings in diameter? if you have the room, you could add gussets to the square tube to 3/4 plate for more lateral and horizontal strength. how big is the tubing?
@@ypaulbrown this would be the wbeel bearing hub on a pick up truck. The way it works is, the apparatus is attached to the wheel hub and then struck with a 10lb sledge hammer. What is your email so I can send you pictures?
Either way, the two sections must be joined with proper welding protocol
love this new laser welding technology! thanks for the video!
Laser welding,I game changer.
I'd definitely like to see how it handles a gap or less than ideal fit up
It doesn’t. There’s a reason why this isn’t widely used for production. Some claim it’s the “future”…but that can hardly be true with its current limitations.
Hello Rich - Good question. The LightWELD has a wire feed attachment to handle gaps. You can see it in use here: th-cam.com/video/H-_yisVaiWU/w-d-xo.html
@@ieatslag5947 If you use wire the gap can be up to the diameter or the wire. You can also use rod and the gap can be bigger. The LightWELDER oscillates the beam up to .200 wide and 300 times a second so like any process once you have a solution to the question you can do things. It is being used for production for sure, IPG has delivered over 500 nationwide and over a 1000 worldwide in just over a year since it went on the market.
I have done 3/8 aluminum with the system countless time, only thing you have to do is weld from both sides
It can weld perfect joint, But can it fill gaps ?
Would love to see a real world application where a factory joint is being replicated in an automotive repair shop. Vw golf roof panels are laser welded from factory down both long sides but it’s impossible to replicate, you have to bond with glue and fill the gap with a sealer upon replacement. Or even a standard quarter panel joint that is mig welded then repaired.
Please post titanium gr5 welding
Gave ya a thumbs up for the Buck Rogers reference there old man 😆
❤ that's amazing well done
Hei this is pure quality video with a lot of information! Thank you a lot!
Does it weld titanium?
Thank you for the demonstration. My TH-cam shorts feed was full of videos showcasing laser welding but they looked so fake I wasn’t sure the whole thing was real or not.
With the low heat input, it would be interesting to see how laser welding performs on cast iron crack repairs
If you move slower will the bead widen or thicken or burn through.
Good question, Nelson - Fortunately there are ample controls to reduce the laser power into the weld, including a pulsed mode, that will allow for a very slow travel speed to match whatever is comfortable for the welder on that particular job.
Very informative . We have lightweld XR 1500W , noticed black smoke while welding the stainless steel. Is this normal ?
If you used this in space, would you need shielding gas? Seems like it'd be great for in orbit construction if the tool was built right
No. No atmosphere = no air = no oxygen = no oxidation.
I wonder if the lack of atmospheric pressure may enable the material to boil away though.
That's a very interesting process. Great video too!
Приму такой в дар.
А то до нас еще лет десять такие аппараты будут доходить)
Another Star Trek tech come to life
8:10 am I missing something or did you not completely melt the bottom of the thin steel here. You can see sparks shooting out the other side and reflections from the other side of the plate, but then show a perfectly good piece the next clip?
Can you weld a reactive metal like Titanium using this system? It would have been great to see 2mm Ti plate be welded...
Wow, I can see this having a major impact on automotive sheetmetal fabrication and restoration.
Thanks for the lesson Sir. I love it.
I've never welded, but i would love one of these as someone who likes to build things.
要不要买一台尝试一下呢
Wow ! I'd love one of those systems for my garage, but with 2 kid's in college and one more to go, I'll just have to make due with my mig system. Those laser weld lines are so sharp, it almost makes me cry !😆
Condoms are cheap emoji man...
@@Failure_Is_An_Option too late now ... he's already got kids .
Wow you're a great parent paying to send your kids to school ... kudos to you I hope they really appreciate how you're sparing them from the ravages of student loan debt
Dang man, i came just by mere curiosity I'm no welder nor I work on anything near the industry, I just wanted to know how it worked and what was the difference between the others, this video taught me all I wanted, needed, and more. cheers to you man absolute awesome video content-wise
Remember when plasma cutters were really expensive? 10 years from now these will be affordable for everyone.
I've always figured that for thin materials, high heat and very fast travel time is what gets the job done. Like if welding 1mm stainless, don't do it at 30 amps, because you'll cook the metal, but do it at 100 amps and just zip through the material very quickly, or set a high pulse rate and zip through it. You'll get better weld this way. I figured this is how lasers can get good weld like this.
How much gas does laser welding use?
Hi what is the thickness of materials and what type of materials can it weld
Thanks
What is the minimum gap between 2 metals we can weld with laser welding? And can we weld mild steel with it and what will be the result of welding mild steel with laser welding technique?
You guys have global viewers, please at least give out alternative metric sizes too when you mention measurments
it may be great welding in straight lines that fast , id like to see it do a 2 inch overhead pipe , 6g or the likes.
Whats up with those grooves along the entire right edge of the weld; are they preventable?
Add a cut and etch to the bend test follow up. Also, this seems to be similar to autogenous tig welding? Which we all know is perfect for some applications while not possible for others- say, sanitary SS pipe vs 6061 tube. I’m just not sold on the idea of making something “easier” that should require skill in the first place.
While many materials are suitable for autogenous laser welding, some material combinations benefit from the addition of welding wire to achieve certain metallurgical results. In these cases the LightWELD wire feeder can be used with the preferred wire.
What about the laser itself, how long does it lasts? Doea it need special maintenance at a certain interval of time, or some parts needs to be changed??
Awesome video!! Thanks for posting this!!
We got one of these in my shop , they’re really cool but I love my tig
May i ask what kind of filler wire is used on laser welding?
Very cool. So fast. Beautiful welds.
Can laser welding be used for structural steel where thicknesses of mild steel can max 40mm?
What would be the basic entry machine for the home job shop ??? Cost is a big factor when it is competitive with what is on the market. Thanks
I had bought a yes welder multi process for $500 welds just for home use but it’s held up great highly recommend it as a good starter
@@Giggysiggy How about a link to this welder Sir ???
Is it much better than regular tig
Is this a pulsed fiber laser source or CW ?
How's the penetration on heavier metals like stainless??
That was good on clean new material. How would it do on an old dirty dozer blade?
I think they'd clean the weld spot first 🤷♂️
How about tube frame welding - is it suitable for that kind of job. It seems bulky and may be hard to to tricky places on the chassis?
Great informative video. The opportunities are there for this type of machine.
what kind of wires the machine use is it the same as MIG welder