A handheld fiber laser welder can travel up to four times faster than traditional welding, with deeper penetration and very little distortion. It is also quicker to learn. After 3-4 hours of qualified training, an operator who has never welded aluminum can weld very thin aluminum. The operator remains responsible for completing the required training, following approved process controls and meeting every laser-safety requirement.
Speed is only part of the story, though. Three things separate one handheld welder from the next in daily use: how it is cooled, how heavy the torch is, and what comes in the box.
Three differences that matter
Cooling. The Ascent 2000W fiber laser welder is cooled by a refrigerant heat pump with two circuits and an inverter drive. It can run continuously, with no scheduled cooling breaks and no coolant to top up. Many welders rely on air cooling, which can lose output in a hot shop, or on a water chiller, which needs regular maintenance.
Torch. The Ascent torch weighs 1.32 lb (600 g), which reduces fatigue on long production runs. Ask any supplier for the torch weight in grams, because a heavier gun makes a full day of welding more tiring and less precise.
Kit. The Ascent welder ships with an automatic wire feeder for one or two wires, a spool of aluminum wire, a trolley for the welder and argon tank, a laser welding helmet, laser safety glasses, nozzles and spare protective lenses. You can weld the day it is installed. Check whether a competing quote includes the same items.
The Ascent 2000W at a glance
| Feature | Ascent 2000W |
|---|---|
| Cooling | Refrigerant heat pump, two circuits, inverter drive |
| Duty cycle | 100%, no scheduled cooling breaks |
| Operating range | -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to +140°F) |
| Torch | 1.32 lb (600 g) |
| Controls | Android app plus a 3-button panel |
| Wire feeding | Automatic, single or dual wire |
Who should buy one
A fabrication shop or high-volume sheet metal operation that needs to weld without scheduled cooling breaks is the natural fit. Many shops see 2000W as the right balance for production work: enough power for standard-gauge metal, and still easy for one trained operator to handle.
What a 2000W welder can weld
Maximum thickness depends on the model, the metal and the joint. As an example, the Ascent STR-MASTER X60 (2000W) lists these limits:
| Metal | Maximum thickness |
|---|---|
| Stainless steel | 6 mm (0.236 in.) |
| Carbon steel | 6 mm (0.236 in.) |
| Aluminum | 5 mm (0.197 in.) |
| Galvanized sheet | 5 mm (0.197 in.) |
| Brass | 5 mm (0.197 in.) |
| Copper | 3 mm (0.118 in.) |
The 2000W model in the refrigeration laser welder line has its own table on its product page. Check the table for the exact model you are considering.
The wobble head
A wobble head moves the beam in a small circle or figure eight instead of holding a fixed point. That widens the melt pool, makes the weld more forgiving of small gaps and helps on aluminum, which is prone to porosity.
One platform, more than welding
The STR-MASTER X platform is built for more than handheld welding. The same laser source platform can be set up for robot welding integration (MASTER X-A), laser cleaning (MASTER X-C) and laser cutting. See the STR Series page for details.
For small, thin parts
For small and medium parts in thin aluminum and stainless steel, Ascent also builds a 300W QCW (quasi-continuous wave) tabletop and handheld welder. Its pulses peak at up to 3,000W, which suits narrow joints and thin material where a continuous-wave welder would put in too much heat. See the QCW tabletop and handheld welder.
Safety
A handheld laser welder is a Class 4 laser. Wear the laser helmet or safety glasses that come with the machine. Minimum OD 5; prefer OD 7 or 8. Enclose the welding area with laser-rated partitions and use fume extraction. See our laser safety page.
Installation and operator training at your facility are included in the price, and the handheld welder has a 2-year warranty. Contact Ascent Lasers Pro for a quote.
