Set up the wire feeder and weld¶
Good handheld laser welding begins with joint preparation and a matched physical setup. Power alone cannot correct a gap, dirty joint, wrong wire, unstable gas, damaged tip, or poor ground/work-clamp connection.
Before enabling the source¶
- Establish the controlled laser area, barriers, correct PPE, extraction, fire watch, and emergency response.
- Identify base alloy, thickness, coating, oil, and filler requirements; remove contamination using a safe method.
- Confirm the handheld welding head, correct tip/nozzle, intact protective optics, and matching software mode.
- Secure shielding-gas equipment, use compatible rated regulator/hoses, and leak-test.
- Attach the work/ground clamp to clean conductive material in the documented arrangement.
- Route the head bundle and wire-feed lead clear of heat, sharp edges, and feet.
Welding fumes can contain hazardous metal compounds. Use local exhaust positioned to capture the plume without pulling shielding gas away from the weld; see NIOSH's welding guidance.
Set up the wire feeder¶
- Choose filler wire compatible with the base material and process plan.
- Fit the correct drive roll/groove, liner, contact path, and guide for wire diameter.
- Load the spool in the intended feed direction and secure it without excessive drag.
- Thread wire with laser output disabled and hands clear of the drive mechanism.
- Set just enough roll pressure to feed reliably without crushing/deforming wire.
- Test inch/jog into a safe container; verify smooth feed and consistent exit position relative to the weld point.
Make the first coupon weld¶
Use representative scrap prepared like the real joint. Start from the Gweike-supplied baseline for source power, material, thickness, joint, scan width/pattern, speed, gas, and wire. Confirm the head/workpiece geometry specified for the process; brace yourself and the work so the head cannot sweep toward a person or reflective path.
Enable the system only when the area is secured. Establish gas as required, position the head, engage safety/contact conditions, then trigger and move smoothly along a short coupon. Release the trigger before moving away; maintain post-flow if configured. Treat the part as hot.
If the weld is unstable¶
| Symptom | Check before adding power |
|---|---|
| Intermittent start | Work clamp/contact safety, trigger/control connector, software ready state |
| Porosity/oxidation | Cleanliness, gas identity/flow/stability, drafts, nozzle position |
| Wire stubs or wanders | Wire path, roll pressure, feed speed, tip alignment, travel consistency |
| Excess spatter/undercut | Joint fit, focus/stand-off, scan width, speed/energy balance |
| Shallow fusion | Material/joint, travel speed, focus, process baseline, actual source output |
| Quality degrades over time | Protective window/tip contamination, gas decay, heat buildup, cooling alarm |
Stop for any protective-window damage, unstable optical connector, unexpected emission, persistent source alarm, fire, or a safety circuit that can be triggered incorrectly. Cut and inspect coupons when procedure qualification matters; surface appearance alone does not prove penetration or structural performance.