Manufacturers Discover the Benefits of Laser Brazing

The list of benefits that come along with the use of laser brazing keeps growing. Not only does laser brazing accomplish feats that traditional joining techniques can’t, but it also offers increased flexibility and speed, alongside reduced materials and manufacturing steps which in turn reduces cost.

If you’ve struggled with a search for a cost-effective solution to your metal joining needs and haven’t considered laser brazing, keep reading about this exciting technology.

Learn About the Benefits of Brazing Over Welding

Brazing is a method that is extremely effective at joining two or more metal parts together. It differs from welding in that instead of melting a base material, a filler material is melted and flowed into the joint to create a bond. Since brazing uses filler material, the process allows for the joining of non-similar metals.

Also, since brazing takes place at much lower temperatures than welding does, there’s a lower risk for distortion of the base metal components. Lastly, the reduced number of materials needed for the brazing process reduces costs along with less required manufacturing steps.

Traditional brazing techniques include torch brazing, arc brazing, furnace brazing, and induction brazing. Torch brazing involves the use of a gas flame held near the joint to heat the filler material. Arc brazing uses an electrical current to heat the filler. Furnace brazing requires the heating of the entire assembly. And induction brazing uses induction heating to melt the filler material to join parts.

Laser Brazing Takes the Next Step for Brazing Technology

Fiber laser brazing technology adds a level of precision where conventional brazing methods fall short. The laser quickly melts the filler material with even less heat distributed to the base metal parts. Laser brazing also doesn’t require any flux, further reducing material costs. With the elimination of heat to the joined parts, throughput is increased.

The fiber lasers used for laser brazing are often entirely solid-state designs and require minimal maintenance. This makes laser brazing ideal for industrial environments where uptime is critical. Hot-swap redundancy solutions are available to eliminate downtime and keep the laser beam operational under all conditions.

Laser brazing goes perfectly with automation solutions. Both the firing of the laser and its path can be controlled with robotics and software. Manufacturers are able to eliminate the variability that manual operators bring to the process. Every laser brazed joint is identical to the last thanks to the laser’s high beam profile and power stability.

Genesis Systems offers laser solutions for brazing to a wide range of manufacturing industries, including aerospace, aircraft, and automotive.