Laser welding saves you time and money. And having the right selection of laser wire when you need it can make or break a job. Our technical experts have offered some tips to keep in mind while working with these products:
When adding wire to a laser welder, everyone has come across the wire that explodes or splatters under the intense heat of the laser beam. This often happens when using spot welders, which makes adding wire difficult and can cause pits and cracks in the weld area.
Stuller has switched from 14kt/18kt palladium white to 19kt white because it’s better at reducing pits and cracking. The following is a review of the different alloys better suited for spot welding:
19kt White Wire – It’s better suited for welding on white gold. This wire also reduces the small cracks that can form in white gold after it's been laser welded.
14/18kt Zinc-Free Wire - Zinc is used in most gold alloys to stop the metal from oxidizing and turning pink when melted. Zinc has a very low melting point and vaporizes, causing splatters and porosity. This new alloy removes the zinc and is much more laser-friendly while still retaining its gold color.
Silver Weld Hard Wire - If you use sterling wire as filler, the welds may become brittle. We use silver weld hard wire to make sure this doesn't happen. This wire is a solder and contains about 75% silver. While the wire is not perfect color match, it can still be polished to match the surrounding area.
Eyeglass Frame Wire - Use this wire as a solder on costume jewelry that turn into trouble pieces. If you are having a particularly hard time with welding, throw in some 14kt palladium wire. The 14PW also helps with eyeglass frames that give you trouble.
Any advice on laser wire to share? Let us know below!