Process Date: September 2002

The photo on the left shows a 0.02" thick 316 stainless steel sheet welded to the edges of a 0.375" thick rail using a Synrad Evo 240W laser. The welds were made using 240W at a speed of 40ipm with argon as a shield gas. The laser provides clean welds with little to no splatter, heat deformation, or vaporization of the 316 sheet.  

   The welds in this case are designed to form a hermetic seal to replace a brazing operation.  With no tungsten electrodes to rework and replace, laser welding provides an excellent solution for automated welding systems.

Side by side 0.03" weld beads, on 0.02" thick 316 stainless steel sheet, created using a Synrad 240W laser.