Equipment for repairing laser devices: from soldering stations to laser energy meters.
If you repair cosmetic lasers (808/755/1064 nm diode, IPL, CO2, alexandrite, Nd:YAG, and others), you already know that without the right tools, even the most experienced technician becomes ‘a person trying to pick up a soldering iron at random.’ This article provides a complete list of equipment that is truly necessary for professional work. From the most essential items (without which it is impossible to begin serious repairs) to professional-grade equipment (when you are performing complex tasks and want to stay one step ahead of the competition/
Level 1 — Absolutely essential (do not start serious repairs without this)
2-in-1 soldering station (soldering iron + heat gun)
Purpose: soldering printed circuit boards, SMD components, replacing connectors, working with BGA components
Digital oscilloscope (2–4 channels, ≥100 MHz)
Purpose: viewing driver pulses, synchronisation, power supply noise, signal shape.
Multimeter with true RMS measurement (≥1000 V).
Always choose a multimeter with true RMS measurement — cheap multimeters do not measure pulse signals well.
Infrared thermometer + thermocouple.
Purpose: to monitor the temperature of the unit, radiator and diode during operation. Overheating is the cause of approximately 40% of diode laser failures.
Laser power meter (808/755/1064 nm)
Purpose: the number one tool for checking repair results — actual output power in watts.
Level 2 — Highly recommended (significantly speeds up work and improves accuracy)
Thermal imager purpose: detection of overheating boards, poor contacts, short circuits.
Saves hours of blind diagnostics.
USB microscope (1000×) or stereo microscope.
Purpose: inspection of printed circuit boards, soldering of tiny components, detection of microcracks.
Laser pulse energy meter (joulemeter)
Purpose: for IPL and Q-Switch — measurement of pulse energy in mJ.
Conventional power meters are not suitable here.
High-voltage measuring probe (≥1000–2000 V) Purpose: measuring voltage in high-voltage power circuits
Level 3 — Professional level (for craftsmen with a large volume of work)
Spectrometer/monochromator.
Purpose: accurate wavelength verification (to confirm the absence of deviation at a wavelength of 808 nm).
Laser profilometer/beam quality analyser.
Purpose: checking beam profile, uniformity, spot shape.
Laboratory power supply (0–30 V, 0–10 A)
Purpose: testing power supplies and drivers under load
Electronic load (load simulator)
Purpose: simulating load on the power supply
Consumables you use every day
Lint-free optical wipes (Kimwipes)
99.9% isopropyl alcohol
High-temperature thermal paste (Arctic MX-4 or better)
Thermal adhesive / heat-conductive adhesive
0.5–0.8 mm solder + flux (Amtech NC-559)
Kapton tape
Antistatic bags and containers for boards
