Before the first pulse
Material Preparation Guide
Surface cleaning, oxide control, fixture checks, and shielding preparation for common materials.
SurfaceClean metal
Remove oil, oxide, coating residue, and loose particles before trials.
Fit-upStable gap
Clamp parts so the joint gap does not change across the sample.
ShieldingGas coverage
Set gas type, flow, nozzle distance, and purge before judging weld quality.
Material preparation by family
| Material | Preparation action | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Degrease, remove fingerprints, and keep stainless tooling separate from carbon steel. | Heat tint, porosity, oxide film, and chromium-depletion concerns. |
| Aluminum | Remove oxide close to welding time and avoid touching the cleaned surface. | Porosity from moisture or oxide; unstable coupling from inconsistent surface prep. |
| Copper | Clean oxide and oil; keep contact pressure and surface flatness consistent. | High reflectivity, high conductivity, and variation between plated and bare copper. |
| Titanium | Apply clean handling, dry shielding gas, and trailing or backside shielding when needed. | Discoloration, oxygen pickup, and brittle surface contamination. |
Fixture checks before welding
| Check | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Joint gap | Measure at several points before clamping and after clamping. | Gap changes can look like parameter instability. |
| Part movement | Mark reference points and inspect movement after tack or first pulse. | Movement changes focus, penetration, and bead width. |
| Thermal contact | Keep backing bars, chill blocks, and copper fixtures consistent across trials. | Heat sinking changes penetration and HAZ width. |
Next engineering checks
Crack Risk CalculatorScreen material, carbon equivalent, restraint, and cooling assumptions for crack risk.Preheat Temperature CalculatorEstimate preheat needs for steels using carbon-equivalent and thickness assumptions.Material Process Window TableStarting assumptions for common materials, thickness ranges, shielding gases, and process cautions.Defect Troubleshooting TableCommon symptoms, likely causes, and first checks for weld defect troubleshooting.