Abkanttechnologie

Fiber laser technology now also available for welding

There is one incomparable advantage that makes fiber laser technology stand out: It permits the largely problem-free machining of demanding materials such as copper, brass and titanium. Following the outstanding success of this capability in the field of laser cutting, AMADA has now extended it to the world of laser welding with the launch of its FLW series fiber laser welding robot.

Fibre laser welding robot FLW-4000 III
Fibre laser welding robot FLW-4000 III

Problem-free machining of demanding sheet materials with fiber laser technology opens up a whole new dimension of process expertise to users in the field of welding technology. The FLW fiber laser welding robot from AMADA now allow parts to be manufactured from combinations of materials that have up to now presented machinists with considerable difficulties.

Thus, for example, it is possible to weld together copper and stainless steel sheet components, which are characterized by very different melting points, to form assemblies. What is more, the use of fiber laser technology is also beneficial when machining materials with comparatively high reflectance values. This is the case with copper and brass for example. AMADA will for the first time be demonstrating a machine from the FLW fiber laser welding robot live at EuroBLECH 2012. The whole of the fiber laser welding robot series has been conceived as a modular system and covers a wide power range between 1 kW and 6 kW.

Extremely clean welding process

One special feature of the AMADA FLW fiber laser welding robot is the optical assembly which is equipped with a patented rotating lens. This means that the laser beam is no longer aligned with a specific point on the target; instead it circles within a small area. This makes it possible to bridge larger as well as uneven gap sizes and a clean, even welding process is guaranteed. The heat input into the material is also optimized. The result is precisely defined weld edges with almost no unnecessary deposits of material. This capability contributes to the great economic efficiency of the FLW fiber laser welding robot by minimizing or even completely eliminating the need for retouching operations on the workpiece.

Fibre laser welding robot example
Fibre laser welding robot example
Fibre laser welding robot cogwheel
Fibre laser welding robot cogwheel

Faster than ever development of welding programs

The FLW fibre laser welding robot series is particularly user friendly due to its specially developed software solution combined with a high-resolution camera system. During the setup phase, this is used to position the welding head and define the precise weld trajectory. Users can intuitively develop welding programs ready for operation much faster and the time taken to set up the system is reduced by around 50 percent.