How to quickly solve the malfunction of a handheld laser welding machine? Solving the malfunction of a handheld laser welding machine usually involves a process of elimination starting with the most common “safety interlock” issues before moving to complex hardware faults.
Here is a quick troubleshooting guide organized by the most common symptoms.
Symptom 1: Machine is On, Fan is Running, but NO Laser Comes Out
Most common cause: Safety Interlocks.
Symptom 2: The Protective Lens Burns Out Frequently
This is the most frustrating and expensive recurring issue. It is almost always an operator or setup error.
- Check Gas Pressure: If air pressure is too low, smoke and spatter will backflow into the nozzle and burn the lens.
- Target: Nitrogen/Argon should be 15–20 L/min. If using shop air, ensure it is clean and dry (oil/water in air destroys lenses instantly).
- Wrong Welding Angle:NEVER weld vertically (90°) to the surface.
- Dirty Cover Glass: Inspect the protective lens before starting. If it has even a tiny black spec, the laser will heat that spec until the glass cracks. Replace it immediately.
- Delayed Gas Off: In your settings, ensure “Gas Off Delay” is set to 200ms – 500ms. This keeps the gas flowing for half a second after you stop welding to cool the lens and blow away the last bit of smoke.
Symptom 3: Weak Weld / No Penetration
The laser is firing, but the weld is sitting on top of the metal (cold weld).
- Check Focus Position: This is the most critical setting.
- Fix: For deep penetration, the focus usually needs to be 0 (on surface) or slightly negative (inside material, e.g., -1mm). If the focus is too high (+), the beam is too wide and weak.
- Scan Width (Wobble): If the wobble width is too wide (e.g., 5mm), the energy is spread too thin.
- Fix: Reduce wobble width to 1.5mm – 2.5mm to concentrate the heat.
- Dirty Protective Lens: A damaged lens absorbs laser power. If you are running at 1000W but it feels like 500W, check the lens.
Symptom 4: Weld is Black or Porous
The weld looks dirty, sooty, or has holes (Swiss cheese).
- Gas Coverage: You are likely losing gas shielding.
- Fix: Check if the nozzle is clogged with spatter. Increase gas flow slightly. Ensure no fan is blowing directly on the weld area (blowing the gas away).
- Material Contamination: Laser welding hates oil and rust.
- Fix: Wipe the area with Acetone or grind it clean. Oil residue turns into black soot instantly under a laser.
Symptom 5: Wire Feeder Jamming
- Wire Tip Blob: A small ball of metal often forms at the tip of the wire after a weld.
- Fix: Cut the tip of the wire with pliers before starting the next long weld.
- Tube Resistance: If the wire feed tube is coiled too tightly on the floor, the wire can’t push through smoothy. Straighten the cable.
- Drive Rolls: Check if the drive rolls in the feeder are slipping (tighten tension) or chewing the wire (loosen tension).
Summary Checklist for Operators
- Safety Clamp is attached to workpiece.
- Protective lens is clean (no black spots).
- Gas is flowing (hissing sound) before the laser fires.
- Gun angle is tilted (not vertical).
