Common Pipe Problems with Laser Welding Machines
Posted by： Hangao Time：12/5/2025 2:16:24 PM
1. Weld-Related Issues
Incomplete Penetration/Discontinuous Weld: Insufficient laser energy or laser spot misalignment results in insufficient weld depth.
Weld Undercut: Excessive laser power or speed prevents sufficient filling of the molten pool.
Weld Porosity: Unstable shielding gas flow or oil/oxide scale on the pipe surface.
Weld Cracks: Excessive heat input or rapid cooling, especially prone to hot cracking in high-alloy stainless steel.
2. Pipe Forming Issues
Pipe Deformation: Concentrated laser heat can cause ellipticity deviations or bending in thin-walled pipes.
Excessive Weld Reinforcement: Improper laser focusing leads to surface protrusion, affecting subsequent polishing.
Uneven Weld Depth: Fluctuations in pipe thickness or laser focus drift result in inconsistent weld depth.
3. Material Compatibility Issues
Differences in Absorption Rates Between Different Materials: Stainless steel, carbon steel, and titanium alloys have different laser absorption rates, requiring parameter adjustments. Highly reflective materials are difficult to weld: For example, aluminum alloys have high laser reflectivity, which easily leads to energy loss.
Insufficient surface treatment of the pipe: Oil stains, coatings, or oxide scale on the surface can affect laser energy transfer.
4. Process and equipment issues
Insufficient shielding gas: Inadequate argon or nitrogen protection can easily cause the weld to oxidize and turn black.
Laser path contamination: Dust on the optical lenses or malfunctions in the cooling system can cause unstable laser spot.
Automatic tracking system errors: When the pipe is running at high speed, inaccurate laser focus tracking can cause weld misalignment.
Weld porosity: Commonly 2–5%, can be reduced to <1% by optimizing gas flow rate.
Weld crack incidence: Approximately 3–7% in high-alloy stainless steel; cooling rate needs to be controlled.
Tube ovality: When laser welding thin-walled tubes, ovality deviation can reach 0.5–1.0%, requiring optimization of the forming roller system.
Weld strength: Laser welding strength is typically 5–10% lower than the base material strength, but can be improved to near-base material levels using dual-focus lasers.
Contact Person: Manager Xu
Contact Number: 18942437326
