Laser welding
What settings for 3 mm steel on Laser?
Quick answer
For 3 mm mild steel on Laser: 1,200–1,500 W machines handle 3 mm comfortably at full power with moderate travel speed — add wire if the joint has gaps.
Settings table by thickness
| Laser power | Single-pass steel | With wire |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000–1,200 W | up to ~3 mm | thicker with multi-pass |
| 1,500 W | up to ~4 mm | ~5 mm |
| 2,000 W | up to ~6 mm | ~7 mm |
| 3,000 W | up to ~8 mm | 10 mm+ |
Dialling it in
Start at the middle of the band on scrap of the same thickness. Listen: a consistent bacon-crackle means the voltage/wire-speed pair is right; hissing spatter means mismatched. Watch the wetting at the toes — a bead sitting proud on top is too cold; one digging in and undercutting is too hot.