Laser welding
Common laser welding mistakes and how to fix them
Quick answer
The most common laser welding mistakes: no rated laser safety eyewear for the exact wavelength; skipping the focal/protective lens check; expecting them to weld thick structural steel: most handhelds are comfortable to ~4–6 mm. Each traces to setup or technique basics — fix those first and the process behaves.
The usual suspects
- No rated laser safety eyewear for the exact wavelength — regular welding helmets do NOT block 1064–1080 nm
- Skipping the focal/protective lens check — spatter destroys optics fast
- Expecting them to weld thick structural steel: most handhelds are comfortable to ~4–6 mm
- Buying on wattage alone — beam quality, cooling and local service support matter more
Diagnose from the bead
Your weld bead is a data readout: undercut says too hot or too fast, humpy ropey beads say too slow or too cold, spatter says voltage mismatch or stick-out, porosity says shielding. Chisel, brush and read every practice bead before you blame the machine — 90% of 'machine problems' are settings problems.