Is Laser Welding As Strong As MIG Welding?

[@josephroy9399]

I am laser welding engineer who works for IPG photonics Here are my observations Lightweld XC is designed for 5/16th plate maximum With laser welding of ferous based metals you use Nitrogen not argon You should be using 1/16th diameter wire for a greater fillet size The machine that best suits that process is the Lightweld XR 2000 watt which is for 1/4" or above The hardest part of my job, is getting welders to adato the new technology You are trying to make the machine do with what you are familiar with, which is MIG. But over all you are learning and that is a good thing.

[@LibertyDankmeme]

nitrogen? for reals?

[@Moonlightshadow-lq4fr]

If it's nitrogen then why not CO2?

[@lamania32]

@@Moonlightshadow-lq4fr bc nitrogen is cheaper and it does what CO2 does while using laser welder

[@rickhunt3183]

sounds good to me. You ought to know since you're the engineer and have the experience with the process.

[@Parents_of_Twins]

@@lamania32 Been a long time since I studied lasers and it was from a chemists pov but I wonder since CO2 can lase if that would cause an issue? Just to add to your list of why N2 versus CO2.

[@JFirn86Q]

Some are bashing him, but I think this is an interesting test. Teaches us that you need a lot more laser power for something this thick, and the differences and limitations of it (which is not super clear in industry right now).

[@austinhargett5792]

Thank you. It was definitely that, a test, and I don’t think the test was bad. It just needs some tweaking to be comparable on that thickness of steel

[@shanegannon3794]

We demoed light weld at our shop. The do have a 2000 watt dual wire feed system but they didn't have it on their trailer. Laser is still for light gauge aerospace and HVAC in my opinion. Hard to beat mig for 1/4" and up. CWI since 09. Thanks for video!

[@kennethbawol8800]

Massively more powerful don’t get me wrong I have 4 very large laser machines technology is not there yet components fail duty cycles meet there limits they are kind of fragile and when technology does get there heat input is going to raise it’s ugly head

[@Hitman-ds1ei]

Be interesting to compare when same size fillet welds are used and shown using fillet gage but also using spray arc for mig

[@austinhargett5792]

Agreed I think this needs a do over. More volts and more watts! With a break test and etch.

[@m4rvinmartian]

*7:00** Crystal sizes: 2 Scenarios, I'd have to have them in hand to tell which... 1) Quench speed after welding, 2) Ultimate temperature DURING welding.*

[@garthland]

I own one of them 260's-it's around here somewhere. I used to run it and it's big brother an old 350MP. Now all the 350 does is just push-pull aluminum. Any steel wire welding is done off a pipepro 400 with an LN25-the arc is SO sweet!

[@austinhargett5792]

Yeah Lincoln knows what’s up for sure with these wire machines

[@dodowner132]

What happens if you overlap laser welds?

[@notanymore9471]

Lasers are as strong as TIG actually. About 7 years back I had laser welds tested and grain structure examined by a lab that found no difference from a metallurgical standpoint. These were welds done on bellows that were 0.025” stainless steel. The power source was an IPG YLR series’s rack and the welds were done in quasi-continuous wave mode. To be honest I don’t know the light weld specifications but that material looks way thick for 1500 watts. Plus you did a fillet plus wire feed versus a butt so it was closer to 1/2”. We used a 2k watt YLR that would weld 1/4” stainless autogenous so you can figure 500 watts per 1/16” of material.

[@andyb7754]

Interesting test. How about another test with Mig, Tig and Laser using the cut and etch test to see which one has better penetration? Thank you.

[@austinhargett5792]

Good thought! Next time I get ahold of one we can try it

[@shanesmart3578]

It appears to be something the paint and body guys would be pleased with. I can't see where it would be helpful in any of the "heavy industrial" applications due to the amount of heat needed and heavier wall thicknesses.

[@austinhargett5792]

Definitely a sheet metal beast. Especially this model. They make much stronger ones that claim full penn on a 3/8” plate butted together 😱

[@cnccarving]

laser can be stronger, but cant imagine using 25-50 kw laser for hand welding thats already a power that cutting trough 3 inches steel

[@CodyCha]

laser welders are indeed used in heavy industrial applications, aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, heavy machinery, etc. Laser welder can penetrate deeper without using high heat compared to traditional welders

[@Scribbler-i2c]

That laser weld looks slick.

[@BrettCooper4702]

What's the math on energy input into the weld?

[@austinhargett5792]

Beats me! 😅 I’m sure it’s worth a google

[@frigginpos]

WOW, you folks reply!!! AWESOME!

[@BERZOweldingprojects2022]

next round try super basic electrode 7018

[@mohsenmadadi5518]

Ilove you weld❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤سپاس گذارم از برنامه با محتوای شما ❤❤درود بر شرفت

[@madcapmagician6018]

If the bead of the laser and was as wide and think as the MiG it may have held up. BUT .. if I recall this test should not have the weld itself break if I recall all the parameters are correct and your technique is correct the weeks should hold and tear out base metal when failures occur. But it had been a long time since I have done this test, you should almost maybe cut and etch these joints to give a good look at what the pen looks like.

[@austinhargett5792]

I believe another test needs to be done. This laser max thickness is closer to 3/16”. I’m positive with a larger laser, wire diameter and even a gas change to nitrogen would’ve changed a lot

[@Parents_of_Twins]

I was thinking the same thing. That if the weld is good it should tear be inseparable from the base metal not snapping in half.

[@wizrom3046]

The laser machine wire feed had obviously put a lot LESS metal into that joint. Maybe you just needed to move your hand slower so the heat and feed metal matched the other weld?

[@austinhargett5792]

I think a slower travel speed, larger wire and bigger machine rates for 1/4” would’ve definitely changed the results

[@ericross5048]

I used a laser once. The gun actually pushes your hand along, you can’t slow down.

[@seniorsanchez2286]

maybe multipass for the laser so you get approximately the same amount of filler?🤔

[@austinhargett5792]

I think that could help. I do believe the reinforcement helped out the mig weld a lot

[@gozinta82]

@@austinhargett5792 I am only familiar with MIG (we just started using laser at my job), but I would imagine the difference in the material that was left on MIG was what held the metal together for more force. The laser probably penetrated just as well, but didnt have as much support in the end product as far as material is concerned.

[@nealesmith1873]

Can’t wait for laser welders to be available at Harbor Freight!

[@waynestratton6082]

@@nealesmith1873 I can wait until after early adopters buy; use, rate and return them to HF for upgrades and improvements. I won’t get stuck wasting money on unproven low priced tools again. Low priced often equals high costs unless there’s a track record.

[@LibertyDankmeme]

more laser welding vids!!! tell bob you need to borrow the weld arc camera and and let's see some laser arc shots

[@noshsreqd]

I theorize that the laser weld was brittle due to material thickness vs bead size, the material absorbed the heat of the weld and cooled it too quickly. If the material was preheated some the outcome would be more favorable.

[@ForMacFabrication]

It would be interesting to see a test that used the same deposition for both processes

[@O.oTimeTravelerO.o]

Omg people. He is not clickbaiting...under his name to the left is a play button, click on that to take you to the full video.

[@grahampreece9267]

Great video.I now know which to buy..Thank you

[@joshuaherrold2470]

I would be interested to see some cross sections if each to compare

[@brokenarrow2835]

Maybe the laser is hotter and concentrated that caused the crystallization of the weld.

[@dpjazzy15]

I wanna see some side cuts. Some other testing I've seen with laser welders NOT undersized for their application had the laser welds making better penatration.

[@ricardopereira771]

Never welded with laser but any experienced mig welder would use other settings on the mig machine too litle voltage and not enough amps... Its works like that but you have to weld very slowly...

[@austinhargett5792]

Yeah just using pre sets to keep more control. But I would’ve much rather been in the spray transfer on plate steel

[@ManVsOven]

wait, where is the crescent wrench hammer? just kidding... keep the videos coming... love you guys !!!

[@johnjohnson7070]

Would be nice to see someone who actually know how to do laser welds.

[@Jgabyc]

Brother pleas wear ear plugs when you make that much noise youre gonna be deaf before 40 not judging your work tho very instructive

[@Leithyl]

I would like to see the laser get a few passes to build up to the same amount as the mig. Then try the test again?

[@madcapmagician6018]

Cut and etch to find out for sure which process penetrates deeper.

[@rbrought]

Is it just me, but it made me cringe when he welded the parts to the top of the welding table. If you don't remove it properly, it will now have lumps and gouges on the surface of the table.

[@austinhargett5792]

Little flap action and she was cleaner than before I welded it to the table 😅. It was a wittle weld.

[@jfitz9624]

@@austinhargett5792 part of my shop clean up after finishing a project is grinding down all the tacks and splatter on my table… takes like 2 mins, no big deal.

[@1vyrobca]

I was lifted out of my chair when I saw it.. For me, the welding table is as sacred as a cow in India..

[@masonblatz3843]

@@jfitz9624 some shops want there tables perfectly level for fitting/tacking it really comes in handy when you don’t have to worry about lumps on the table throwing your piece out of wack

[@robertmceuen3630]

I've done alot of MIG, and in my opinion it works best on thinner material. Quarter inch is about it. Great process though.

[@mrjacobsen3806]

I have been welding with laser for 9 years and I can say that laser has very poor penetration even with high effect. laser is very good for its area, low heat input and very clean welding, with example inconel 625

[@naeiorjfnspirtujgn]

@@mrjacobsen3806 laser looks fantastic for certain things like panels, racking, light duty tubing etc. But Im not sure I'd want to test a roll cage done with laser 😅

[@LuciaWashington1980]

Which machine? What do you think after using it

[@lamania32]

you can run multiple passes to get the same weld size as the mig, with the same amount of filler deposit it would have the same result

[@BartoszTrzeciak-k7i]

Yes, but they advertising this method as a faster and stronger than semi automatic one. To build up on the same level it will take much more time. I know it's all about marketing but they shouldn't try to push this method everywhere as they want to. The only advantage is in thin gauge on mass production and that's it.

[@lamania32]

They are advertising up to 4 mm pen, depending on the brand. also have to follow the setup guide, correct W settings, and speed. I assure you it's min 10 times faster operating one for almost 4 years

[@DanielMurphy-kq2ri]

Thanks for the demo! Ive heard 100% argon also works well with laser. Would be interesting comparing different joint configurations as well. For instance would a bend test on a 3/8 plate with a zero bevel butt weld have the similar mechanical properties vs V-groove assuming complete penetration and fusion

[@danharold3087]

You proved you need more time on the lasers. Nothing else.

[@jakeowens1770]

You need: frickin sharks with lasers

[@JoshuaSpencer-ih5ik]

🤣

[@austinhargett5792]

Not until this “experiment” was finished did I realize I needed to adjust a few things for a fair fight. Larger diameter wire, slower travel speed, nitrogen, and a bigger laser. I used what I had on hand to just see what would happen. I don’t have very much experience on these lasers, I’ve enjoyed learning along with our viewers as most people don’t have access to one. How would you have done it differently? What’s your solution?

[@gozinta82]

@@austinhargett5792 Clearly they aren't here to provide solutions, only here to piss on your welding skill.

[@bennyblanco14]

This test only works when both welds are the same size. You can clearly see that the Lazer welds are more penetrated but not enough added metal for support. Its like cutting out a grove that makes it very weak. While the mig weld has more support

[@DireWolfForge]

I’m m glad you showed this, but imho It’s kind of like testing a diesel against a gas motor by using deisel in both fuel tanks.

[@rickhunt3183]

I don't know anything about laser welding, but I would say, If operated with its specified design parameters it would probably shine. I'd be almost certain that welding schedule 40 pipe would be outside of its designed function. That's why there are different types of welding processes. A specific process for a specific application. I would venture to guess an mig welder would preform poorly for an application that the laser was designed for.

[@car24dude]

You need to put a few more passes on laser weld, make equal size to make it a fair test.

[@Artisan1.618]

Run another test with same size fillets and use laser wire for 1/4" plate and not the 5/32".

[@bernardmauge8613]

this is not a test when you are using the laser above its rated capacity. you had severe undercut on the laser weld and a concave profile which leads me to believe you angle was wrong as well as you wire speed and travel speed. practice more and re test my friend.

[@austinhargett5792]

You’re not wrong my friend. I think we should run this back.

[@bernardmauge8613]

@@austinhargett5792 no hard feelings I hope. Do a test on 18G to see if you get warpage. lots of auto body guys would be interested. you should get adequate penetration (butt and lap weld would be perfect Thanks)

[@enginebae3471]

I want a friggin shark with a friggin laser on its head

[@austinhargett5792]

Don’t we all

[@djrigga]

😂😂

[@Ryan_the_dawg]

I hope you held your pinky finger to your lip 😂

[@enginebae3471]

@@Ryan_the_dawg absolutely 😂

[@ZombiePotatoSalad]

For science, you could try it another way. You beat the metal INTO the welds, in which the MIG, having a thicker deposit, would clearly win. You could also try beating them the opposite direction, against the welds. See how they stack up that way.

[@turbhoeheflin1168]

Looks like the blazer made it hard some how.

[@kaybay1489]

If it is the same welding wire used in both machines then same ksi tensile strength weld. Break test is is really only comparable if two samples welded are as close as human possible to the same leg length as well as same surface profile. Done this way it would still only show the difference in penetration in the root of the two welds. Still interesting to see laser welds compared & would like to see more.

[@austinhargett5792]

I think another try is in the books

[@RichGT350r]

Let’s melt some metal! 🤙🤙😎

[@stephentaylortcsimusic8608]

Not a fair comparison for the laser welder by running out of specs. I don't really understand Light welds settings. Seems like they are very limited. If I was to attempt this test as it was done. Hz would have been lowered and the nozzle negative defocused for the thicker steel. Along with knowing the MIG is going lay more material. I would have used dual wire feeder with .045 with Nitrogen. I think all process have their place and will for many years to come. I love a 7018 there are just things that having a laser welder has allowed me to do faster and way more cost effective.

[@wargamingsupernoob]

Retest it with more wire for the lazer.

[@maxtrax89]

All this proves is that more weld cross section = more weld strength🤷‍♂ You might also want to try Nitrogen on steel instead of Argon

[@ВикторМельников-ф4м]

Вы допустили ошибку направив излучение в нижнюю пластину. Нужно взять сопло "вилку", повернуть его на 90° и направлять лазер паралельно нижней пластине

[@austinhargett5792]

That’s very helpful thank you

[@ВикторМельников-ф4м]

​@@austinhargett5792Ещё один совет с вашего позволения. Ударяйте с другой стороны пластины. Со стороны шва. Результат может быть обратным. Попробуйте изменить рабочее расстояние переместив фокальную точку глубже в металл.

[@SERRALABS]

based on the chart it recommend nitrogen not argon

[@magge636]

Yes indeed cooling time on the laser weld is too fast. Risk of martensite. Also throat size affect to strenght a lot!

[@laneburgess1643]

Great video.

[@tomfuelery2905]

Dang. I was hoping this would be proof that size doesn't correlate to penetration.

[@northmanlogging2769]

Gonna be pretty hard to convince me that laser welding isn't a fad, it does have some industrial/scientific uses, but those have been around for decades already, for the home gamer, or for your average weld shop its a one trick pony who's tricks aren't very impressive, great for thin or very small welds in critical areas, but overall nothing a cheap TIG machine can't do.

[@ASMODAY1K]

Running a 2000 xr for r&d for an ultra-high vacuum company. Thing is neat but basically useless in real world applications that aren't seemles flat joint welds. Anything with a gap it will throw a fit, and you can't have a tac in your process as it traces the base materials. it doesn't wet it in like mig or tig, just makes the area worse. Also, to get the claimed weld penetraition, that's using no filler, which again means no gaps. Otherwise, it just makes craters. Body shop or robotic welding is a good place for these.

[@hafsalinda]

Lazer weld the root, mig the cap Give that a bend test.

[@cat637d]

Brittle martensite, these are really not competing technologies😱

[@kennethbawol8800]

A much more simple test 1/8 in weld rod tig weld two pieces together repeat the same with laser the laser welded pcs will snap in you hand the tig will not there all just tool just need to choose carefully

[@jasonburguess]

I bet a 7018 rod would have beat them both in this test.

[@willgallatin2802]

ER70T11 will not quite match 7018, but it can and regularly does better than these tests.

[@jasonburguess]

@willgallatin2802 if you want it done fast use mig, if you want it done well use stick, if you want it done perfectly use tig.

[@cabincreekzeke6257]

The reason is magic fairies from the blue light portal. The Blue Light is a magical place where the lords of the realms rule, Lincoln and across the way is lord Miller ahh but lads and ladies that is a story for another time. The metal is held together by magical fairies some weave tighter than others.

[@Benzinilinguine]

5:15 Turned into the gotdang Flash

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

75/25 is MAG not MIG Also about the laser: no surprise here lol

[@kipetrovitchi]

1500W laser is not enough for more than 3mm steel plate

[@jonwoodrum9478]

1500 watts is not enough for the 1/4” carbon steel

[@m4rvinmartian]

*5:50** That ain't good.*

[@supernewf3722]

Laser is too hot boiling the metal from the inside out creating air pockets.Just like a cinder block or sponge comparison wise.

[@morenothing4u]

7018 steps into the room.

[@dmitrykhailov6315]

Another useless experiment. 1500w laser vs roughly 4000w mig. Set mig to the same power

[@austinhargett5792]

Agreed, we need to run this back

[@MuskratWhiskers]

Less talk, more action

[@bwhemmert]

Use Nitrogen for the laser next time.

[@massa-blasta]

I can tell this wasn't a sponsored laser selling video. 🙄

[@Migman2020]

pretty unfair test.. you used the weakest form of mig/mag welding v a laser..

[@osmanz6030]

I am selling this wonderful laser welding machine in Turkey, it is really fast and high performance.

[@cnccarving]

tthe mig used more material so you had to break a thicker stuff laser also NOT heating up as much as the mig doing it so theres explanation but some smarter need like me

[@ZILAwelds]

The proof is in the pudding ….. exactly !!!!

[@magnetmannenbannanen]

"but can a mig welder remove rust?"

[@nfausman]

Yeah lasers only rated for 5/32 so lets run it on quarter inch and be shocked the weld wasnt strong wtf 😂 bring back redbeard and mancub they had answers

[@blackbutteforge]

Uhhh, why are we wasting materials MIG welding up a F2 proficiency test? Both will fail by video end, I don't even have to see it through. This is a SMAW test I would use to determine if my students were ready for the certification class. FOLKS, MIG is not, never was, structural welding. It's brazing on steroids ars far as "shear, and tension" forces are concerned. Also this test is done in a press and bent to a specific angle.

[@suggesttwo]

Meaningless test. Don't waste your time. Laser welder rated for 5/32 can't weld 1/4" plate, what a surprise!

[@allnonemechanics1604]

It eould of made more sense if you would of judt welder the laser on both sides of one plate. I strsd of teo different welds on oach side. Not a good way to test the welds.

[@marcedwards2464]

The laser weld is neater and faster

[@dustup2249]

Comparing a hobby toy to an industrial machine is simply cheating serious minded KZbin viewers looking for realistic comparisons. You just created time wasting content because your business model is to upload content for s**ts, grins and beer money one time a week.

[@Rameshsuthar53]

❤❤❤

[@dacoelec]

Why on earth would you try to compare two completely different processes? Laser shines on thin stainless and Mig works great on thick steels. Get real.

[@austinhargett5792]

You weren’t curious?

[@dacoelec]

@@austinhargett5792 I've had too much experience with MIG, TIG and Laser, to bite on this clik bait, but one never knows, so sure I was curious. Regards.

[@austinhargett5792]

@@dacoelec I have little experience with lasers. Other than the supervised use of these haha. I can tell you this wasn’t a great test. But it was never intended to be click bait. Just a dude playing with a laser. And ran a test, didn’t realize how flaw the test was until I was done. Lessons were learned, experience was gained

[@dacoelec]

@@austinhargett5792 Hey no problem😁. Lasers are so kickass on thin material that aren't conductive like ss. Best of luck!

[@bsfishing7073]

Is this not scary when you don’t weld anything at all but too think that we count on someone else’s skills that we don’t consider what they used on the boat trailer next time we move a trailer loaded or not it just snapped off with a little hammer 😮and we pulled heavy stuff down the highway of America with trailer welded by someone who we don’t even know 😮I mean how easy it broke thank god for insurance 😮

[@rnrishi4074]

I'm tig welder sir

[@jonathanthomas2613]

Proof that just because you took some classes to become a cwi you still don’t know how to weld. If you were able to get that close to a uniform weld an actual welder would’ve been able to

[@austinhargett5792]

I am a welder way before i was a cwi. You know nothing about me, not to say this experiment wasn’t a bust, and changes need to be made. I’m not the smartest or the slickest, but I can hold my own with any torch. Before making KZbin videos I was welding high pressure and alloyed pipe in power plants and refineries. Sorry to disappoint you sir.

[@jonathanthomas2613]

I can tell why you don’t weld in refineries anymore and now just make videos targeted to home enthusiasts.

[@mikenn1734]

It was a ridiculous test. He had a huge bead and a MIG welder and of course it's going to be way stronger but there wasn't even any need to test that. It was obvious the the laser welder was undersized for the job plus his feed rates, the wrong gas but white test. Why test it when you have such a thin bead on there? A thin bead with a mig a thin bead with a heliarch whatever. It ain't going to match up to a to a robust big bead and you need to compare apples with apples that just sucked. It should never have been even performed. The laser is way undersized for the job. Your your set at 1500 w. I mean it's just ridiculous

[@jeremiah1st]

I'll stick with MIG and arc so I safe a lot of money not buying anything new.

[@Rameshsuthar53]

🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@timothymix7758]

Why on God's green earth would you weld "parts" to you fixture table! From the battle scares it looks like it isn't the first time! 🤔

[@DilynHorton]

Wears his welding cap like the ghetto homies wear their flat bills! Be funny if he held his mig gun sideways too!

[@Tigdude]

Mig is much better

[@hazamax]

poor　test

[@PistonHipsRick]

These laser weld videos always seem like but hurt welders scremin there here to takes r jobs. Man i just want to know if these are good but its always just see look wleders are better! 😂

[@McFarqua]

you think your cool right?