What is the typical power required for the laser head of a laser welding machine?

Laser head processing for laser welding robots is a process that uses a focused laser head beam as a heat source to bombard a workpiece and melt metal or non-metal parts to form small holes, notches, joints, cladding, etc. Laser head processing is essentially a process of interaction between two workpieces. Two workpieces: The laser head laser and a non-transparent material. At the microscopic level, this is a quantum process. At the macroscopic level, it is reflected, absorbed, heated, melted and vaporized.

Under the irradiation of laser beams with different power densities, various changes in the surface area of the material occur, including an increase in surface temperature, melting, vaporization, the formation of small holes, and the generation of photogenerated plasma.

1. Laser head power density is less than an order of magnitude

When the laser head power density is less than an order of magnitude, the metal absorbing the laser energy will only raise the surface temperature of the material while keeping the solid phase unchanged. It is mainly used for surface heat treatment of parts, phase change hardening treatment or brazing. When the laser head power density is within an order of magnitude, heat transfer type heating occurs and the surface layer of the material melts, which is mainly used for surface remelting, alloying, cladding and heat transfer type welding (e.g., high speed welding and precision spot welding).

2. Power density of the laser head reaches orders of magnitude

When the laser head power density of the laser welding robot reaches orders of magnitude, under the laser beam of the laser head of the laser welding robot, the central heating temperature of the laser heat source reaches the boiling point of the metal, forming plasma vapor and strongly vaporizing, and under the action of the vaporization expansion pressure, the liquid surface is depressed downward to form deep molten holes. At the same time, the metal vapor is ionized under the action of the laser beam, producing a photogenerated plasma. This stage is mainly used for laser beam deep fusion welding, cutting and drilling.

3. Laser head power density is greater than an order of magnitude

When the power density of the laser head of the laser welding robot is greater than orders of magnitude, the photogenerated plasma will propagate against the direction of incidence of the laser beam of the laser head of the laser welding robot, forming a plasma cloud, which will result in shielding of the plasma from the laser head laser of the laser welding robot. This stage is only applicable for drilling, impact hardening and other processing of the laser head laser of the pulsed laser welding robot.

Laser technicians use high power density laser beams to irradiate workpieces to melt and vaporize materials for special processes such as piercing, cutting and welding. Because of its low power, early laser welding robots with laser heads for laser processing were used primarily for drilling and micro-welding. By the 1970s, with the advent of high power CO2 lasers, high repetition frequency yttrium aluminum garnet lasers and intensive research into laser processing mechanisms and technologies, laser head processing technology made great strides and its applications expanded accordingly. The emergence of several kilowatts of laser head processing equipment, combined with photoelectric tracking, computer digital control, industrial welding robots and other technologies, greatly improving the level of automation and the use of laser welding robot laser head processing function.

Laser technicians use high power density laser beams to irradiate workpieces to melt and vaporize materials for special processes such as piercing, cutting and welding. Because of its low power, early laser welding robots with laser heads for laser processing were used primarily for drilling and micro-welding. By the 1970s, with the advent of high power CO2 lasers, high repetition frequency yttrium aluminum garnet lasers and intensive research into laser processing mechanisms and technologies, laser head processing technology made great strides and its applications expanded accordingly. The emergence of several kilowatts of laser head processing equipment, combined with photoelectric tracking, computer digital control, industrial welding robots and other technologies, greatly improving the level of automation and the use of laser welding robot laser head processing function.