This Kickstarter Brings Laser Welding to the Masses

Laser welding has long been a popular choice in industrial settings, as it suits automation very well. But until recently, it simply wasn’t an option for hobbyists and DIYers. Now it might be, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign for the new Xphotonics XLASERLAB X1/X1 Pro.

This campaign has already raised more than $4 million, which is very impressive. Why are people so excited about this? Because it finally makes laser welding accessible.

For a short time, I did professional welding work. If a friend asked me what kind of welder they should get to start their journey, I would recommend a gas-shielded MIG setup. It is affordable and relatively easy to learn. But it works best with thick material and low-carbon steel. Want to weld thin sheet or aluminum? That’s where laser welding excels.

Laser welding works by emitting a high-power laser beam, which melts and fuses the metal. Typically, the laser fires in pulses to reduce the total energy. But even with pulsing, it requires a lot of power and that’s why laser welders aren’t commonplace on the consumer market.

Xphotonics managed to get the cost down on two models: the X1 and X1 Pro. The X1 has an average laser power of 460W with duty cycle between 1% and 50% at 900-990nm wavelengths, while the X1 Pro has an average laser power of 700W with a duty cycle between 1% and 100% at about a 1080nm wavelength. In practice, the X1 is good for stainless steel, galvanized sheet, and carbon steel. The X1 Pro handles those, plus aluminum, brass, and copper.

Unless you have a very specific purpose in mind, you should probably get the X1 Pro if you’re going to purchase one of these.

The benefit, compared to MIG, is that you can get very clean, fine welds, without burning through thin sheet. In that regard, it is even superior to TIG and doesn’t require quite as much skill. You will, however, still need to use a shielding gas. Xphotonics recommends pure nitrogen for stainless steel and pure argon for everything else.

If you go with the X1 Pro, you’ll get some additional features that are very desirable. On top of welding, the X1 Pro can also cut metal and clean surfaces by burning away the top layers of grime or oxidation. You can even set up the X1 Pro with a motion system for CNC laser cutting—something that is traditionally extremely expensive if you want to cut metal. Compared to a CNC plasma cutter, that should be lot less dirty.

To get an XLASERLAB tool, you’ll need to back the campaign before it ends on March 28th. Early birds can get the X1 Pro Basic Version for $2,699 or the X1 Basic Version for $1,699. Those should ship to backers in April.