How to choose water-cooled or air-cooled handheld laser welding machines
Advantages of air-cooled welding machine
1. High portability: – Simple structure, no complex water cooling system or related pipelines, water tanks and other components, small overall volume, light weight, easy to move and carry, suitable for situations that require frequent changes in work sites or outdoor operations. For example, some small processing workshops, temporary construction sites, etc., air-cooled laser welding machines can be easily transported and used.
2. Easy to operate: – It can be used immediately after turning on, without waiting for the water temperature to reach the set temperature like a water-cooled laser welding machine, saving preparation time and improving work efficiency. The technical requirements for operators are relatively low, and they can be easily trained to operate, reducing the cost of human training.
3. Low maintenance cost: The structure of the air cooling system is simple, without water related components, and there are no problems such as coolant leakage, water blockage, or water pump failure, which reduces the workload and cost of maintenance.
4. Strong adaptability to the environment: – In cold regions or low-temperature environments, air-cooled laser welding machines are not affected by coolant freezing and can still work normally, with a wider range of applications.
Disadvantages of air-cooled welding machine
1. Limited heat dissipation effect: Air cooling mainly relies on the airflow generated by the fan to take away heat, and the heat dissipation efficiency is relatively low. For high-power and long-term continuous operation, the heat dissipation capacity may be insufficient. When working under high load for a long time, it may cause the laser temperature to be too high, affecting the welding quality and the service life of the equipment.
2. Power limitation: Due to the limitation of heat dissipation capacity, the power of air-cooled laser welding machines is generally relatively small, which is not suitable for large-scale processing projects with high power requirements and the need to weld thick materials.
3. Relatively low welding speed and depth: The low power results in lower welding speed and depth compared to water-cooled laser welding. For some workpieces with high requirements for welding speed and depth, the welding effect is not ideal.
Advantages of water-cooled laser welding machine:
1. Good cooling effect:
The water cooling system absorbs and takes away heat through circulating water, with high heat dissipation efficiency, which can quickly and effectively reduce the temperature of the laser, ensuring the stability of the equipment under high-power operation and long-term working conditions. Even in hot summer or long-term continuous work, it can maintain good cooling effect and ensure the stability of welding quality.
2. High power:
It can carry high power (2000w/3000w), meet the welding needs of large workpieces and thick plate materials, with fast welding speed and deep welding depth, suitable for industrial production with high requirements for welding strength and quality.
For example, in the welding of large structural components in industries such as automobile manufacturing, mechanical processing, and construction, water-cooled laser welding machines have significant advantages.
3. High welding quality:
A stable cooling system helps to maintain the stability of laser performance, thereby ensuring the stability and consistency of the welding process. The welded seams have high quality, strong strength, beautiful appearance, and fewer welding defects.
For industries with strict requirements for welding quality, such as aerospace and medical equipment, water-cooled laser welding machines are a better choice.
Disadvantages of water-cooled laser welding machine:
1. Large size and portability:
The water cooling system needs to be equipped with components such as water tanks, water pumps, and pipelines, making the equipment bulky, occupying a large area, and not easy to move and transport. It is generally suitable for fixed processing sites.
In some situations where space is limited or devices need to be frequently moved, the use of water-cooled laser welding machines may be limited.
2. Maintenance is more complex compared to air-cooled machines:
The water cooling system requires regular maintenance, including replacement of coolant, cleaning of water tanks and pipelines, inspection of water pumps, etc
If the quality of the coolant is poor or not maintained in a timely manner, problems such as water blockage, coolant leakage, and water pump failure may occur, affecting the normal operation of the equipment.
In summary, both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage of air-cooled welding machines is that they are easy to move and can be carried outdoors for work. But if you don’t need to move the machine frequently and need to weld thick materials (4mm and above), then a water-cooled welding machine is more stable.
