Laser welding of aluminium box
Laser welding is a modern technology offering high precision, strength and aesthetically perfect welds. In this case study, we focus on the welding of a filter box made of 1 mm thick aluminium, using a MAX Photonics MA-65 laser welder and a 1 mm diameter AlMg5 additional wire.
Project description
The aim of the project was to create a lightweight, strong and durable filter box with high requirements for tightness and aesthetics. Aluminium was chosen as the main material because of its light weight and corrosion resistance. Laser welding was preferred for its ability to minimize thermal distortion and achieve a smooth and uniform weld.
Used technologies and materials
Laser welding machine: MAX Photonics MA-65
Material: aluminium EN AW-5754 (1 mm)
Additional material: welding wire AlMg5 (1 mm)
Cutting out parts: Laser cutting on 2kW fiber laser. Precise grooves were created during the cutting process for additional filling with aluminium wire.
1) Preparation of material:
The individual parts of the filter box have been thoroughly cleaned of dirt, oxides and grease before welding. Proper surface preparation is critical to achieving a quality weld.
2) Setting the welding machine parameters:
The MAX Photonics MA-65 laser welder allows you to save welding parameters, making it easy to reuse optimal settings. The following parameters were chosen for this project:
Laser power: 40% of 1500 W (600 W)
Weld width: 2.5 mm
Sweep frequency: 55 Hz
Wire feed: 12 mm/s
Shielding gas: Nitrogen (flow rate 12 l/min)
3) Welding process:
The laser beam was focused on the connecting edges of the filter box parts. Welding included corner and fillet welds. The additional AlMg5 wire was fed automatically, ensuring that the weld gap was filled evenly. Nitrogen as a shielding gas prevented oxidation and promoted weld purity.
4) Finishing:
After welding, the welds were visually inspected and tested for tightness. The surface of the welds was finely ground to remove any unevenness and improve the aesthetic appearance.
Results
Using the MAX Photonics MA-65 laser welder has brought several key benefits:
- High weld quality: the joints were homogeneous, without visible defects or deformations.
- Minimal thermal distortion: the aluminium parts retain their original shape and dimensions.
- Aesthetics: the welds were clean and required only minimal surface treatment.
Conclusion
The use of the MAX Photonics MA-65 laser welder and additional AlMg5 wire produced excellent results when welding the filter box. This technology has proven to be the ideal choice for applications with high quality, strength and aesthetic requirements. The speed and accuracy of laser welding made it possible to meet the project’s demanding deadlines and quality standards.
