Penta Laser · Model buying guide
Penta Laser WEX 4020 Pillow Plate Laser Welding Machine
The Penta Laser WEX 4020 welds heat-exchanger pillow plates on a 4000 × 2000 mm field, in a line about 14.3 m long. Power runs from 1000 to 8000 W across four laser source types. Send your plate drawing first and ask Penta which source and rated power it would quote.
By WeldOrigin Editorial · Sources checked
What the manufacturer publishes
Values as the manufacturer publishes them for this model, with the source for each line.
- Model
- WEX 4020 [1]
- Welding field
- 4000 × 2000 mm, marked expandable (row labelled maximum welding length) [1]
- Equipment size
- 14300 × 3600 × 2900 mm [1]
- Laser source options
- FFRC-H, FFRC-SM, FFRQ, FFRSC [1]
- Laser power range
- 1000–8000 W across the listed source types [1]
- Welding head
- Collimating and focusing welding head [1]
- Electrical supply
- 380 VAC, 50 Hz (phase and rated power not given) [1]
- Compressed air
- 0.5–0.7 MPa [1]
- Worktable and clamping
- Actively cooled worktable with main and auxiliary dual clamping [1]
A dedicated line for pillow plates
Penta Laser builds the WEX 4020 for one job: welding the two sheets of a heat-exchanger pillow plate. The welding field is 4000 × 2000 mm, which matches the model number, and Penta marks it as expandable. The whole machine measures 14300 × 3600 × 2900 mm. It uses a collimating and focusing welding head, an actively cooled worktable and main and auxiliary dual clamping.
Four laser source codes are listed, FFRC-H, FFRC-SM, FFRQ and FFRSC, with one power span of 1000 to 8000 W. The supply is 380 VAC at 50 Hz and the compressed air 0.5–0.7 MPa. Penta also describes automatic programming for many plate shapes and complex patterns, double-sided bulging, single-sided welding with double-sided forming, and a clean back face on single-bulged plates. A footnote says individual values may change because of dimensional constraints.
[1]Pick the laser source from your plate stack-up
Buying guidance
The 1000 to 8000 W span covers the four source codes together. Penta does not explain the codes or say which power steps belong to which source. Treat the span as the set of builds on offer. Your machine will have one source at one rated power, somewhere between 1 kW and 8 kW.
For pillow plates, the choice rests on sheet material, the thickness of each sheet, how dense the weld pattern is and the cycle time you need per plate. Send those details and ask Penta which source code and rated power it proposes, why, and what welding speed it expects on your stack-up. Ask for the source maker, model and rated power on the quotation so that two offers line up item for item.
Find out where welding stops and inflation begins
Buying guidance
A pillow plate is usually made by laser welding two sheets together in a pattern of dots and seams, then inflating the gap with high-pressure fluid to form the channels. Penta's text talks about bulging and forming as if the WEX 4020 does both. The parameter table, though, lists no inflation pressure, pump or forming station.
Ask Penta plainly whether inflation equipment ships with the machine or whether you supply that step. The clean back face on single-bulged plates depends on penetration control and sheet thickness. Make it a measured acceptance item on sample plates in your material, together with a pressure test after forming. If inflation is outside the delivery, ask which weld geometry and spot size Penta recommends so your forming step reaches the target channel height without cracking welds.
Read the parameter table carefully
Buying guidance
A few rows carry labels that do not fit their values. The welding field sits under maximum welding length, yet it gives two dimensions, 4000 × 2000 mm. It is called expandable with no upper size. The power supply row is labelled in hertz and holds both a voltage and a frequency. The row named welding type actually names the head.
Each of these is minor, and each deserves a written answer. Ask for the usable weld area once clamping margins are taken off, the largest plate the line accepts, and what an expanded field would cost and need in floor space. Ask for the supply phase and connected load. The page names no seam tracking, height following or camera, so ask whether any of them is fitted.
Programming dense weld patterns
Buying guidance
Penta says the WEX 4020 programs various plate shapes and complex patterns automatically. A pillow plate can carry thousands of spot welds plus perimeter and channel seams, so the programming route matters as much as the laser. The page gives no accepted file formats. It does not say whether a pattern can be built from inputs such as pitch and spot diameter, or how long a typical program takes.
Put one of your real plate drawings in the enquiry. Ask for the software name, the import formats, the programming steps and a demonstration that builds your pattern. Find out whether the weld sequence is arranged to limit distortion, how program edits are logged and whether licences for offline programming on extra workstations are in the price.
Prepare a 14 m bay, utilities and laser safety
Buying guidance
A machine of 14300 × 3600 × 2900 mm needs a long, level bay, a delivery route and lifting plan for oversized sections, and room to load full sheets. Penta gives no weight, foundation details, chiller size or coolant for the active worktable, and no shielding gas specification. Ask for a layout drawing with floor loads and service clearances, and a utilities list for power, an air supply of 0.5–0.7 MPa, gas and water.
An automated laser cell this large also needs a laser safety plan: guarding or an enclosure, interlocks, fume extraction and the laser class of the finished machine. Ask which of these Penta supplies and which fall to you, and request the risk assessment Penta prepared for the design.
Get these answers from Penta before you sign
Buying guidance
Pull the open questions into a single written request. Ask for the source code, source maker and rated power proposed for your plates, the usable field and largest plate, and a yes or no on inflation equipment. Add the weight, foundation, chiller, gas, supply phase and connected load, and the safety items Penta will supply.
Base the order on sample plates in your own material and thickness. Inspect the back face, run a pressure test after forming and record the welding speed reached. Keep these results with the quotation so the delivered machine can be checked against them at acceptance.
Compare the complete configuration
Swipe the table sideways to read the quotation checks.
| Item | Published scope | Before accepting the quote |
|---|---|---|
| WEX 4020 base machine | 4000 × 2000 mm field, collimating and focusing head, cooled worktable and dual clamping [1] | Get the usable area after clamping and a clear answer on tracking or a camera. |
| Laser source option | FFRC-H, FFRC-SM, FFRQ or FFRSC, within 1000–8000 W [1] | Have the source make, model and rated power written on the quote. |
| Expanded welding field | Field described as expandable, with no size given [1] | Ask for the largest field offered and how it changes the footprint. |
| Pattern programming software | Automatic programming of plate shapes and complex patterns [1] | Ask for the software name, import formats and a demo on your drawing. |
| Plate inflation | Bulging and forming described in the text; no forming equipment in the table [1] | Find out whether inflation equipment is supplied or left to you. |
A useful brief for the supplier
Fill in each item. Ask the supplier to respond against the same specification so two offers can be compared.
- Plate material, the thickness of each sheet and your largest plate size
- One typical plate drawing with spot pitch and seam layout
- The laser source code, make and rated power Penta proposes, with its reasons
- Whether inflation equipment is in or out of the delivery
- Weight, foundation, layout drawing and a full utilities list
- Supply phase, connected load, chiller and shielding gas needs
- Sample plates with a back-face check and a pressure test after forming
Buyer questions
Can one WEX 4020 run from 1000 W to 8000 W?
The span covers several laser source types and builds. Your machine gets one source at one rated power, so judge it on the figure written on your quotation. [1]
Does the WEX 4020 inflate the plates?
Penta's text mentions bulging and forming, but the table lists no forming station. Ask whether inflation is part of the delivery. [1]
Can it weld plates larger than 4000 × 2000 mm?
Penta calls the field expandable without naming a limit. Ask for the largest field available and the matching machine size in writing. [1]
Will single-bulged plates have a clean back face?
Penta says so for single-bulged plates. Write it into acceptance as a defined check on samples in your material and thickness. [1]
Sources
Figures come from the manufacturer's published data, checked on the date shown. Before ordering, ask for a written, model-specific answer on availability, certificates, delivery and warranty.
- Penta Laser product page for the WEX 4020 pillow plate welder · Penta Laser (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.
Manufacturer publication · Checked 2026-11-04
Penta's WEX 4020 page. It lists machine size, utilities, laser source types, power range, head and welding field, and describes the bulging and programming features.
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