Introduction

Welding applications involving pure gold joints demand high strength, smooth surface finish, and a flawless absence of defects such as pores, spatter, and indentations. Traditional welding methods encounter challenges when working with pure gold due to its extremely low absorption of infrared laser energy, leading to uneven welds, rough surfaces, and spattering. This article explores how the application of long-pulsed green lasers addresses these challenges, improving the welding process for high reflectivity materials like gold, silver, and copper.

Welding Setup and Challenges

To address these challenges, a specialized laser welding machine equipped with a long-pulsed green laser is utilized. Pure gold joints require a refined welding process to ensure strong bonds, smooth surfaces, and a lack of defects. Traditional infrared lasers struggle to weld pure gold due to its low absorption, leading to uneven welds and surface roughness.

(a) Pure gold sample (b) 25x (c) 100x

Green Laser Solution

The implementation of a long-pulsed green laser offers a transformative solution. The experiment involves welding two scenarios: 0.1mm thick copper-to-copper joints and 0.1mm thick copper-to-0.2mm thick aluminum alloy joints. Notably, the green laser ensures a stable process with minimal energy requirements. Post-weld surfaces exhibit no spattering, uniform weld sizes, and impeccable weld formation. Additionally, the need for post-weld cleaning is eliminated.

From left to right: 0.1mm thick copper-to-copper, 0.1mm thick copper-to-0.2mm thick aluminum alloy, mobile connector tab welding – brass

Advantages of Long-Pulsed Green Laser

The experimentation demonstrates the immense potential of long-pulsed green lasers in improving welding processes involving high reflective materials such as gold, silver, and copper. Unlike traditional infrared lasers, the green laser technology effectively addresses the challenges presented by pure gold welding, delivering uniform welds and high-quality results. The green laser specific wavelength enhances absorption in high-reflectivity materials, ensuring efficient energy conversion into welds.

Diverse Applications

Beyond gold welding, the applications of this technology extend into various industries. Sectors like medical equipment electronics, mobile communication, electronic components, and automotive parts can benefit from the consistent and precise welding capabilities of long-pulsed green lasers. The technology’s ability to weld materials with high reflectivity opens doors to intricate applications that require high-quality and aesthetically pleasing welds.

Conclusion

The integration of long-pulsed green lasers into the welding process of high reflectivity materials, especially pure gold, demonstrates a significant improvement in weld quality, surface finish, and process stability. With applications extending to a wide array of industries, this technology holds immense potential and opens avenues for innovation and refinement in specialized wavelength laser applications. As the field continues to evolve, long-pulsed green lasers are poised to play a pivotal role in enhancing welding processes and advancing various technological domains.