Handheld Laser welding

[elf]

Has anyone used one of these yet? Do we dare ask the price?

[TGriffin]

That actually sounds pretty scary. Unlike gas torches and arc welders, lasers aren't focused or contained. In other words if you sneeze, you might burn a hole in the wall across the room.

Tom

[boslab]

Woohoo a bloody lightsaber, what happens when a welder goes to the dark side! (Esab)
Mark

[loose nut]

Phaser not a lightsaber.

[jlevie]

The mention of lenses suggests that the beam(s) is probably sharply converging. That would make the problem of reflection or not being pointed at a surface much less of an issue. Past the focal point the beam would be expanding and thus not concentrated energy.

[EddyCurr]

The differentiation between TIG and GTAW in the write-up
made me smile.

Interesting about the changeable lenses that allow power to
be adjusted in real-time. Sounds like a focusing mechanism,
as opposed to R-'n-R swapping of lenses. Either way, I
anticipate some maintenance and replacement of consumables
arising from smoke/spatter obscuring the optics.

As regards the price, sounds like the presentation in Feb is
aimed at commercializing the technology. Mention is made
about jewelry mfrng and eye-glass frame repair, which
suggests somewhat accessible pricing.

[C_lazy_F_Guns]

A jeweler friend of mine has some kind of plasma welder he uses under a microscope. I know nothing about it but he can but weld razor blades together at the edge with only about 1/8” heat effected zone. Flat out amazing!! I have him build-up weld on sight blades and fine stuff. He puts a fine tiny little TIG looking bead about .003 tall each pass on the edge of a .030” thick sight blade, extremely precise very high concentrated heat zone.

[EddyCurr]

There are several YouTube videos of 'mobile', 'portable', 'handheld'
laser welders - none of which I have successfully managed to copy
into a post using this iPad on which the post expires and discards
my comments in the time it takes to select/copy the video link.

Take my word, some amazing work is shown

However, I feel confident in predicting that whatever NASA displays
next month will not be 'compact' in the manner in which the water
-cooled torch and my Miller Dynasty is. Nor, I predict, will it be as
'affordable'.

.

[wierdscience]

Laser paint removal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdUQFwTfRFY

[Mcruff]

The laser welder we priced at work 6 months back was $106,000 plus $5000 for training of 2 employees. There still talking about buying it mid year for mold repair.

[boslab]

The laser welder we priced at work 6 months back was $106,000 plus $5000 for training of 2 employees. There still talking about buying it mid year for mold repair.

Yes but ive seen the prices of big molds for the car industry and the can industry, more than my house cost by a few times! So a repair even at that price is economical, amazing!