Laser welding

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Faster, cleaner, better

When welding, a lot of energy gets lost, and more heat is produced than needed. Fortunately, there is a solution to this: laser welding, certainly when welding thin base materials. Read on to find out what laser welding precisely is all about.

Welding is a process to join two metals by heating. This is done by an electric current running through both materials, making them melt and adhere to each other, resulting in a strong connection. Needless to say, Van de Walle has a team of highly specialized welders who are using their expertise at various stages of the production of process equipment.

Traditionally, a lot of heat is set free when welding. This may result in deformations of the metal. That is not a problem when welding thick materials. But with thin materials and parts where extreme precision is required, deformations can cause large problems. In these cases, laser welding is the perfect answer. High energy infrared light in an ultra narrow beam is used to weld thin materials. The laser beam produces considerably less heat than traditional welding techniques do, taking away the risk of deformation. The laser welding technique is often used in the automotive sector and other areas where thin materials must be welded. 

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Not only does laser welding produce less heat, it is also faster, cleaner and produces less discoloration to the welds. An improvement at different fronts, that is. Van de Walle uses the technique to connect pieces between economizers and gas coolers, often in boiler rooms of industrial clients. Typically, pieces to be welded are not more than a few millimeters thin. As Van de Walle strives for the highest quality, it has invested in laser welding technology. It even has constructed a separate laser welding cabin, to guarantee the highest safety. Since high energy infrared beams are invisible, this safety precaution is a wise decision: extra care has to be taken for both the operator and the direct environment.

Laser welding results in faster, better and cleaner welds: nothing but quality advantages. All this to the utter benefits of Van de Walle's clients!