Laser welding has been an important tool in Estes Design and Manufacturing’s sheet metal fabrication arsenal for well over a decade. We pioneered the process of laser welding light gauge sheet metal in the job shop industry to provide superior welds while also cutting production times and costs for customers. Recently, laser welding technology evolved to offer flexible, convenient handheld units that welders can use in a shop floor safety enclosure, and Estes quickly adopted this latest metal joining innovation to optimize production.
Welding with the Speed of Light
Using heat generated from its laser beam, the handheld LightWELD is two to three times faster than MIG welding and four times faster than TIG welding. The LightWELD laser welder is able to operate in manual mode, where the operator has full control of the welding process, or in full automatic mode when connected to our Fanuc CRX 25iA cobot. LightWELD also allows laser welding with wire. This combination can produce full fillet welds on lap or inside corner joints which are structurally superior and require little to no additional finishing. Our result: distinctly shorter lead times and reduced production and labor costs for you.
Because welding speed is determined by the machine and not the operator, the actual welding rate, in inches per minute, will be about the same for the automated system. However, productivity will improve because the cobot moves rapidly to the next weld with no hesitation while an operator must raise his helmet and find the start point of the next weld, which slows the process.
With the advent of handheld laser welders, Estes fabricators now have the power and benefits of laser welding technology at our fingertips.
Download our free eBook, 5 Reasons Why Laser Welding is the Optimal Choice for Your Next Welding Project, to learn more about Estes’ laser welding capabilities and how they can benefit your product production.
Handheld Laser Welding: Simple, Fast, Consistent
Laser welding with IPG Photonics’ LightWELDunits is the latest example of Estes’ investment in technology and commitment to our customers. With LightWELD, our fabricators can access up to 1,500 watts of welding power to join a wide range of materials up to ¼-inch thick without complicated setups and fixturing.
The units also feature preset and user-defined modes to optimize welding of various material and thickness combinations to further speed the process and ensure consistent quality. A variety of weld joint types, including tee, butt, corner, lap and edge, can be performed even on dissimilar materials such as copper, stainless steel or aluminum.
Because laser welding produces a relatively low heat affected zone compared to MIG and TIG welding, there is a significantly reduced risk of distortion, deformation and burn-through, especially when fabricating thinner materials.
Additionally, LightWELDcuts labor costs and reduces production time by allowing operators to efficiently conduct pre- and post-weld cleaning by simply changing purpose-built nozzles. This cleaning process removes all discoloration caused by the welding and is particularly valuable when welding stainless steel.
Pre- and post-weld cleaning is streamlined with interchangeable purpose-built nozzles, swiftly eliminating heat tint from welding, especially beneficial for stainless steel applications.
Flexibility Tailored to Customer Needs
With conventional, handheld, laser, manual and robotic welding capabilities, Estes has the versatility to provide customers the most efficient and cost-effective production solution for all projects. Contact Estes today to find out which welding option is right for your next sheet metal fabrication project.
