PhotonWeld-Lite-PRO-40S & 50S BW: Welding and brazing vehicle bodywork made easy
The only fast, reliable, economical, affordable and ecological Laser Welding Machine for carbody workshops.
Whether you’re a hobbyist or seriously into auto-body work, having a good welder makes all the difference in finishing your cars quickly and to the highest quality.
There are plenty of welders to choose from, and everyone has their own opinion of what they like, so not every welder we have below will suit you. However, we have developped the VERY BEST welder for automotive work:
- VERY FAST : 5~7 times faster than TIG or MIG
- Without deformation: due to the very low and local heat input you do not get any deformation of the thin sheets
- No need for heavy Protection
- Very economical : reduce the electrical consumption by almost 70%
- Easy to use - simple to learn
- The only Ecological responsable Welding Machine
Whether you’re a MIG welder, a TIG welder, or want a machine you can do both with, we recommend you to check our affordable PhotonWeld-Lite Pro-S-BW (Body-Work).
Welding techniques in bodywork repair
Vehicles can only be repaired correctly if the right choice is made from the variety of new joining techniques for the modern materials and low sheet thicknesses which have been used in recent times to manufacture new vehicles.
Looking at the two main areas of bodywork repair, structural parts and outer skin, the welding machine being used needs to offer both MIG/MAG welding processes and MIG brazing, and must be capable of joining panels with a thickness range of 0.4mm to 4.0 mm. This dictates the use of a welding machine which fully meets these tasks for all areas, without time-consuming setup procedures. This you can find in our PhotonWeld-Lite-Pro-S40/S50 portable Laser Welding Machine.
Why Automotive Shops Must Adopt a PhotonWeld Lite-S-BW Handheld Laser Welder?
From material versatility to massive labor savings, the benefits directly impact the bottom line of your automotive repair business.
Transitioning to new equipment is a major decision for any collision center. However, the return on investment provided by a Handheld Laser Welder is undeniable.
1. Eliminating Heat Distortion on Thin Panels
The most significant advantage of a Handheld Laser Welder is its minimal heat-affected zone (HAZ). Traditional arcs spread heat widely across the metal. On a thin car door or quarter panel, this spreading heat causes immediate thermal expansion and permanent warping. Technicians then waste valuable hours applying body filler and block sanding to restore the original shape. A Handheld Laser Welder concentrates its thermal energy strictly at the joint. The surrounding metal remains completely cool to the touch just millimeters away from the weld seam. By using a Handheld Laser Welder, auto body technicians can piece together patch panels or replace entire quarter sections without inducing any structural waves or distortion.
2. Drastically Reducing Post-Weld Grinding
Time spent grinding welds is time not spent painting and finishing the vehicle. A Handheld Laser Welder produces an incredibly smooth, flat seam. Because it uses laser energy to flow the metal together naturally, it rarely requires the heavy addition of filler wire unless there is a significant gap to bridge.
When a Handheld Laser Welder completes a pass, the resulting joint is often flush with the parent material. Auto shop workers can simply wipe the area clean, perhaps apply a very light scuff, and move directly to primer. This elimination of heavy grinding not only saves labor hours but also creates a cleaner, safer, and quieter workshop environment.
3. Bridging the Skilled Labor Gap
The automotive repair industry is facing a severe shortage of master welders. Training a new technician to lay a perfect TIG bead on thin aluminum can take years of practice. Conversely, a Handheld Laser Welder is famously easy to learn. The learning curve is astonishingly short. Because the machine controls the penetration and heat input through intelligent software presets, the operator merely needs to focus on guiding the torch. An entry-level technician can achieve professional, x-ray-quality welds within just a few days of training using a Handheld Laser Welder. This empowers shop owners to distribute tasks more flexibly among their staff.
How to Apply a Handheld Laser Welder in Body Work?
Understanding the theory is important, but practical application is where a Handheld Laser Welder truly shines.
1. Collision Repair and Panel Replacement
When a vehicle suffers side-impact damage, replacing the outer skin of a door or a rear quarter panel is standard procedure. Using a Handheld Laser Welder, technicians can perform a precise butt weld to join the new replacement panel to the existing frame. The rapid travel speed ensures the adhesive and sealants on the interior of the panel do not catch fire or degrade from excessive heat. Furthermore, modern cars use High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steels. Traditional methods can alter the metallurgical properties of these advanced steels, weakening the crash structure. A Handheld Laser Welder maintains the integrity of high-strength car components because the heat cycle is incredibly brief.
2. Classic Car Restoration Techniques
Restoring classic cars involves dealing with rusted panels that are often difficult or impossible to replace entirely. Fabricators must cut out the rust and weld in custom-shaped metal patches. A Handheld Laser Welder is the perfect companion for this delicate art. Because old car metal can be brittle or uneven in thickness, the pinpoint accuracy of a Handheld Laser Welder allows the restorer to fuse new patches without blowing holes through the vintage steel. The clean, spatter-free nature of a Handheld Laser Welder also means the interior of the classic car remains free from molten metal sparks, protecting delicate vintage interiors.
3. Structural Component Reinforcement
While exceptional for thin panels, a high-power Handheld Laser Welder is equally capable of tackling thicker structural chassis work. Whether repairing a cracked subframe or reinforcing suspension mounting points, the deep penetration mode of the laser ensures a solid, full-strength bond.
Laser welding application for car body repair has many advantages in the stiffness and the lightness of the vehicle.
Aluminum Welding
- Aluminum welding of outer skin parts - roof joint
- Aluminum welding of outer skin parts – tail gates
Brazing Steel
- Tight seams with smooth surface
- No or minimal rework
- Painting directly after joining
- No plastic cover necessary
Laser Welding in Car Restauration
Classic Cars restauration with Laser Welding and Laser Cleaning
The benefits of using Laser Welding over other more conventional means such as Tig, Mig and Electron Beam are as follows:-
- 1. No pre-heating of the part is required
- 2. Heat distortion is virtually zero, large areas can be built up without any concern of the part moving, the ability to weld without distortion saves time, and money spent on attempting to recover the part that has distorted therefore no extra machining cost or even the chance of having to scrap the part are involved.
- 3. The heat effected zone is very small which means the part being welded would not rise above 30°C and the structure of the base material remains the same. This allows any hardening treatment done to the part prior to welding will remain the same.
- 4. Parts can be welded either before or after hardening with the hardness value of the material being matched or coated with a harder wearing coating.
- 5. Very old and corroded parts can be welded, many historic parts that would normally be beyond normal Tig welding due to the porosity and corrosion can be brought back to life with laser welding.
- 6. Areas can be accessed that need welding which would be impossible with Tig.
- 7. A wide range of materials can be welded both ferrous and non ferrous such as
- Aluminium
- Brass
- Bronzes
- Carbon Steels
- Cast Iron
- Copper
- Inconnel
- Magnesium
- Stainless Steels
- Titanium ……. to name but a few.
There is so much we can do with Laser Welding it really is the repair of the future.
Car restoration is an art and a science
Non deformation welding keep your precious Car withing the correct tolerance.
Whether you’re rebuilding a muscle car from a scattered collection of old parts or you’re restoring an antique car that has all of its original parts but has been sitting and collecting dust for decades, it’s important to keep the spirit of the car in mind. When car restoration is your business, it’s just as important to make restoration choices that appeal to audiences and potential buyers. That’s why using auto restoration laser welding by PhotonWeld-Lite-Pro S series Laser welding machine is all about preserving, protecting and keeping it original.
The most important rule of restoring antique and exotic cars is to keep as much of the original as you can. Finding a car with all the original parts, and in pristine condition is nearly impossible. Even if you track one down, it will carry a hefty price tag. But if you’re in the market for restoring old cars, you don’t want well-preserved models in factory condition. You want the ones that can only be saved by an expert. Lasermach with it's PhotonWeld Laser Welding Machine for Car bodywork can help you to keep everything in the correct dimensions without deformation or weakening heat affected zones from electrical Welding.