Laser Welding – Fibre or Flashlamp?

People regularly ask the question, “When should I buy a flash lamp pumped laser and when should I buy a laser with a fiber source?”

Unfortunately there’s not a simple answer to this question. If the decision can be compared to buying a car you’d pick out a model and then think about which engine you prefer. Should you go for petrol, deisel, electric or a hybrid? Do you drive long or short distances? Do you need a lot of space for family or equipment?

In laser technology you can choose between automated or manual laser welding, or between Nd:YAG or fiber laser sources. Whether you choose an Nd:YAG or fiber laser will depend on your application.

Fibre Lasers

The fiber laser offers high efficiency and uniform beam quality. It is practically maintenance free. For a bit more money, it delivers performance at the high end of average, and it is excellent for large material deposition on low-reflection materials, especially when reproducibility is important. It can weld in both modes - pulse mode and CW mode - but its peak pulse performance is low.

Nd:YAG Lasers

It is often said that Nd:YAG lasers require repeated outlays for flash lamps and replacement filters. But flash lamp pumped lasers have a very long life and can easily be repaired on-site. And we offer replacement parts for lasers. The Nd:YAG laser big advantage is the high peak pulse performance making work on highly reflective materials especially easy while delivering very good results.

Just like when deciding on a car, when you choose a laser you first have to pick the right model for your application - open or closed, mobile or stationary. Then the desired laser source - with the potential of up to 900 watts of power.

It’s also best to have a test drive and compare. To do that come see us we’ll be happy to take you for a spin!