Laser-Focused on Life-Saving Precision

Protomatic has added an Orion LZR Benchtop Laser Welder to our precision CNC capabilities.
It furthers our commitment to Life-saving Precision in scientific research, as well as medical and aerospace engineering,

In scientific research—where setups must be customized, ultra-precise, and chemically pure—the Orion LZR serves as a flexible, high-precision laboratory tool. The Orion LZR offers four important core structural benefits:

1. Material Purity & Zero Contamination

• Pure Fusion:
  The laser beam melts the target metals directly under an inert protective shield (like argon gas).Because no fluxes, chemical agents, or third-party solder alloys are introduced, the welded joint remains chemically pure.
• Crucial for Analytics:
  Standard solder off-gases chemicals can ruin experimental vacuums or skew readings. Pure laser welds eliminate off-gassing completely.

2. Fusing Advanced & Exotic Materials

• Refractory & Dissimilar Metals:
  Scientific research frequently involves working with non-standard materials like titanium, nitinol, and platinum; or refractory metals such as molybdenum and tungsten. The focused peak energy of a laser allows us to fuse these difficult materials—and even bond dissimilar metals—without destroying their unique mechanical properties.
• Preserving Temper & Crystal Structure:
  Because the pulse lasts only milliseconds, heat does not travel into surrounding areas. This preserves heat treatment, spring tempers, or delicate crystal structures in experimental alloys.

3. Rapid In-House Prototyping & Custom Tooling

• Custom Experimental Rigging:
  The Orion LZR laser welder allows Protomatic technicians to design, modify, and repair custom metal components in minutes, avoiding weeks of lead time.
• Micro-Scale Assembly:
  Looking through a 10x microscope while welding allows us to assemble micro- machined parts, sub-millimeter sensors, or delicate test probes that would be impossible to handle with standard tools.

4. Non-Contact Assembly Near Sensitive Components

• Zero Mechanical Force:
  The light beam applies zero physical force or pressure to the part. Delicate, brittle assemblies (like thin metal foils, quartz viewports, or micro-membranes) will not bend or fracture during joining.
• Protecting Sensors & Optics:
  We can weld structural enclosures directly adjacent to delicate fiber-optic lines, thermocouples, printed circuit boards, or glass seals without melting or frying the internal electronics.

Precisely What’s Needed
By adding the Orion LZR Benchtop Laser Welder, Protomatic reinforces its commitment to Life-saving Precision. Doug Wetzel, VP and GM at Protomatic stated, ” This technology delivers the thermal control, material integrity, and accuracy required when failure is not an option.”

Contact Us Directly

Phone: 734-426-3655
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About the Author
Doug Wetzel is Vice President and General Manager of Protomatic, a CNC precision machine shop serving the medical and aerospace industries.