Repairs and modifications

Laser welding with a filler wire is the ‘magic-metal-on’ solution for engineers seeking efficient and cost effective repairs hitherto impossible with conventional welding.

In the 1990s the repair of tooling had already developed into the mainstay of Carrs business. When we embraced laser welding technology, the concept of melting small diameter wire onto surfaces heralded a major breakthrough. Cladding with a hand fed wire is now employed using YAG lasers to repair the most intricate metal components from detailed parts of a mould to a mechanism for a complex clock, or the blemish of a rust spot on the barrel of a cherished shotgun.

Laser welding is similar to conventional welding in that the operator melts a small spot or weld pool and then adds a filler wire to the weld to build up the area. The key difference is that the laser spot can be as small as 0.3mm in diameter or about one tenth the size of a TIG weld. The weld is so small that the operator uses a microscope to view the area under repair, the major advantages being incredible accuracy and control.

Welding a valuable part can be a risky business with conventional methods; when the visor goes down and the arc strikes in the wrong place things can be expensive or even irretrievable. With laser welding the operator sees the job throughout, a shutter closing momentarily when the laser pulses and with no dangerous bright lights or flashes.