According to different power, handheld laser welder mainly has 1000 watts, 1500 watts, 2000 watts and 3000 watts laser welding machines.

Handheld laser welders are used for welding metal materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminium, and brass.
A handheld laser welder can weld stainless steel and carbon steel easily. In contrast, when a handheld laser welder welds the brass, it will produce spatter residue due to the physical properties of brass.

When it comes to how to choose a suitable handheld laser welder, here are four  following steps for your reference:

What type of material and what thickness do you need for welding? We know that the thicker the material you are welding, the higher the power required.

For example, typically, thin materials only require a 1,000-watt handheld laser welder, while thicker materials may require a 2,000-watt or 3,000-watt handheld laser welder.

The following is a reference table for different thicknesses that handheld laser welders can weld with different powers.

Stainless steel welding thickness refers to the maximum thickness that can be welded.

The maximum penetration depth of stainless steel refers to the maximum depth to which the laser can melt, and the laser cannot penetrate the material beyond this depth.

We can calculate the maximum laser welding thickness of two stacked plates according to the above table:

For example, when using a 3000W laser welder to weld the stainless steel, the maximum penetration depth is 4mm:

So, when we use a 3000W handheld laser welder to weld two stacked stainless steel plates, the maximum penetration depth of the upper plate should not exceed 3mm, and the maximum penetration depth of the lower plate should be within 1mm.

Through the above, we know that when choosing a suitable handheld laser welder, we need to select the right power of laser welding machine first. For example, if you need a laser welder to weld the 1.5mm thick stainless steel, you should choose the 1000-watt or 1500-watt laser welder.

In addition to the basic function of welding, do you need laser cleaning, laser cutting, or laser weld seam cleaning functions?

HANTENCNC's 4 in 1 handheld laser welding machine has the functions of cleaning, cutting, and weld seam cleaning functions.
HANTENCNC's Laser Welder has three types of laser welders:
1. Laser welder with welding function.
2. 3 in 1 laser welder with welding, cleaning and cutting functions
3. 4 in 1 laser welder with welding, cleaning, cutting and weld seam laser cleaning functions

(1). Laser welding function:

There are three main laser welding methods includes butt welding, corner welding, and overlap welding. 

Butt Welding: This welding method refers to we place two pieces of material together and then we weld the two pieces together at their ends where they meet.

Corner Welding: This welding method refers to placing two pieces of materials together at a corner and then welding at the corner where they meet.

Overlap Welding: This welding method refers to placing one piece of material on top of another, and then we weld at the surface where they contact.

The three welding method mentioned above requires different types of welding nozzles to ensure the best welding quality. All of HANTENCNC's laser welders are equipped with specifically designed welding nozzles to ensure perfect welding results; these welding nozzles are suited for different welding methods. 

The following are pictures of all of HANTENCNC's laser welding nozzles:

 

 

(2). Laser cleaning function:

HANTENCNC's 3 in 1 laser welder and 4 in 1 laser welder have cleaning functions and can be used to clean rust or paint.

The standard cleaning width of the cleaning head equipped with the machine is 80mm.

But if you have requirements for a larger cleaning width, such as 150mm, of course, HANTENCNC can configure it according to your needs.

 

(3). Laser cutting function：

Both the 3 in 1 and 4 in 1 handheld welding machines have the cutting function, typically used for trimming small offcuts.
Although these handheld laser welders are capable of cutting, it is not recommended to use them for cutting materials thicker than 2mm.
That is because the cutting function is designed for small-scale trims rather than for high accuracy and efficiency in cutting thicker materials.

(4). Weld seam cleaning function:

Only HANTENCNC's 4 in 1 laser welders are equipped with a weld seam cleaning function.

After the process of welding, you can use HANTENCNC's handheld 4 in 1 laser welder to clean the weld seams.

This weld cleaning function is specially designed to clean the residue or stains left after welding, which can ensure the cleanliness and quality of the weld seam.

When choosing a suitable laser welding machine, it's important to ensure that its required electrical voltage matches the local power supply.

Laser welders with a power range of 1000 to 2000 watts usually require an AC220V power supply, while 3000 watts laser welding machines require an AC380V power supply.

If the local power supply cannot match the requirements, then it is necessary to use a transformer to adjust the voltage to the required level.

A transformer ensures that the machine can operate safely and effectively in your local electrical environment.

Most handheld laser welders use water-cooling systems on the market currently.

The working temperature of the water-cooling system is between 20 and 25°C; when the temperature drops below 0°C in winter, it is necessary to add laser Antifreeze to prevent water from freezing.

HANTENCNC has a newly developed air-cooled mini handheld laser welder; the working temperature is between -10°C and 60°C.
Unlike the water-cooling system, this air-cooled mini handheld laser welder can avoid freezing, which can meet most of the industrial environment's needs.

By following the above four steps, you can choose a handheld laser welder that is most suitable for you. If you need help, feel free to contact us at any time.

There are so many important operations and precautions for using handheld laser welders at different usage stages, such as preparation, safety checks, operation guidelines, safety precautions, cleanup, maintenance, etc.

We will explain these in detail according to the three usage stages: Pre-Operation, During Use, and Post-Use Procedures.

Here is a complete guide from HANTENCNC to using handheld laser welders.

(1). Exterior and Accessory Check

After receiving HANTENCNC's laser welding machines, you need to check the exterior and accessories of the laser welder carefully and make sure the whole machine is intact and not damaged.

(2). Voltage and Frequency Confirmation

In this step, you need to check the required voltage and frequency of this machine, which is on the nameplate of the device; this step is very important because you need to confirm whether the required voltage and frequency match your power supply.

For example, 1000w to 2000w laser welders match with the single-phase 220V power supply, and 3000w laser welders match with the three-phase 380V power supply.

Frequency means the frequency of the grid, such as 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

Make sure to connect the machine correctly, or the laser welding machines will be damaged.

(3). Power Connection

In this step, you need to connect the laser welder to the power supply.Or you can hire an electrician to do this for you.

Before connecting the power, you must turn off the power!

1000w to 2000w laser welders use a single-phase 220V power supply.

As shown in the picture,
The wire marked L is a live wire,
The wire marked N is a neutral wire,
The wire marked PE is a protective earth wire,

3000w laser welders use a three-phase 380V power supply.
As shown in the picture,
the wires marked L1, L2, and L3 refer to three live wires of the three-phase power supply.

Each of the wires needs to be connected to the corresponding phase port on the air switch.

Live wire and neutral wire should be connected to the corresponding live and neutral ports of your single-phase power supply.
Protective earth wire must be connected to the ground port.

(4).How to add water or laser antifreeze to the water chiller?

When adding water to the water cooler, please use distilled water, purified water, or deionized water; do not use mineral water because it may damage the water cooling system as it contains minerals.

If the temperature drops below 0°C in winter, please add the laser antifreeze to the water chiller. Do not use the car antifreeze, for car antifreeze will corrode the cooling system.

Usually, different temperatures use different mixing ratios of antifreeze and water. So you need to adjust the mixing ratios of them according to different temperatures.

Here is a reference table for mixing ratios of antifreeze and water.

Generally, the capacity of the water chiller is 13L or 16L. Please fill the water to the green part of the liquid level indicator.

As shown in the picture left:

Power on the water chiller and check whether there is any water leakage.

(5). Gas Requirements and Pressure Regulation in Handheld Laser Welder

Handheld laser welding machines require two kinds of gases when working: Argon or Nitrogen. Such gases will not react with the metal during the welding, thus protecting the welding area from oxidation.

In addition to Argon or Nitrogen, you can also use filtered & compressed air. Just be careful that the compressed air is oil-free and water-free and must be filtered to avoid damaging the protective lens.

Usually, laser welders operate at a gas pressure in the range of 10-20 bar, while laser cleaners operate at a gas pressure in the range of 4-5 bar. 

In general, the required gas pressure for laser welder and laser cleaner is different, but the above two kinds of pressure regulators are interchangeable.

After completing all the above requirements, you can then connect the handheld laser welder to the power supplies.

（1）Prohibited to expose the laser to people or flammable objects

When using the laser welding machine, it is strictly prohibited to expose the laser to people or flammable objects.

For step-by-step instructions on how to use the handheld laser welding machine, you can take a look at the HANTENCNC's operation demonstration video.

No worries; after you purchase HANTENCNC’s handheld laser welding machine, our salesperson will proactively send you relevant operating videos.

（2）Replace the laser protective lens regularly

After using the handheld laser welding machine for some time, HANTENCNC's software will issue an alarm that indicates high temperature, which may serve as a reminder to replace the laser protective lens rather than an actual high-temperature warning; this is a safety mechanism that HANTENCNC has implemented.

Generally, the laser protective lens of a laser welding machine should be replaced twice per week.

The laser protective lens of a 1000-2000W laser cleaner should be replaced every 2-3 days.

The protective lens of a 3000W laser cleaner needs to be replaced every day.

Whether or not to replace the laser protective lens of your laser welding machine depends on its usage duration and environmental conditions.

（3）Before using the handheld laser welder, you should check the water temperature of the water chiller

Keeping the water temperature between 20℃ - 25℃ can ensure the efficient and stable output of the laser, helps to improve the welding effect, and extends the service life of the laser.

If the temperature is lower or higher than 20℃ - 25℃ during the laser welding process, it will weaken the laser, affecting its stability.

HANTENCNC's water chiller has a heating function, which can control the temperature between 20℃ - 25℃ quickly after starting up the laser welding machine.

So, before starting up the handheld laser welder, you should check the water temperature to ensure that the laser is operating at its best.

(1) The protective lens needs to be cleaned after use

After using the handheld laser welder, you need to check and clean the protective lens every time. Use Ethanol with a concentration of 75% or higher and absorbent cotton to wipe the protective lens, which can remove grease and dirt from the protective lens effectively.

(2) Empty the water from the water chiller

If you did not add the laser antifreeze to the water chiller, in case the temperature drops below 0°C, you need to empty the water from the water chiller to prevent water from freezing.

(3) Turn off the gas and power supply in time

After using the handheld laser welder, please turn off the gas and power supply in time.

The above are the precautions for handheld laser welding machines and continuous laser cleaning machines. Hope it will be helpful to you.

Laser welder machines can weld a wide range of materials. Such as stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum alloy, copper, and other metal materials.

• Tailor welding
• Stitch welding
• Internal and external fillet welds
• Arc welding
• Special-shaped welding

2 years for fiber laser marking machine. 1 year for CO2 and UV laser marking machine. 1 year for laser welder machine and laser cleaning machine.