Laser welding is a high-precision process used to join metal (and sometimes non-metal) components and parts. Compared to traditional arc welding techniques, which use an electric current to generate heat, laser welding uses a highly focused beam of light to create the weld pool.

Automated and robotic laser welding have been used to create structural and load-bearing welds in the automotive and aerospace industries for decades. Laser welding is also commonly used for precision and micro-welding for batteries and medical devices.

Handheld laser welding offers nearly all of the same benefits as automated laser welding but in a less expensive, more compact format.

Laser welding is typically considered easier to learn than MIG, TIG, and stick welding. It is common for both inexperienced welders and veteran welders to start laying down high-quality welds on day one.

While laser welding is somewhat forgiving and requires less hand-eye coordination than arc methods, it is not a replacement for welder skill or experience. It is still important to understand fixturing and fit up, when and where to use laser welding, and how to dial in parameters on your laser welding machine.

Laser welding is safe as long as you take proper precautions. This includes typical welding PPE, laser eye protection, and a laser safe work environment.

Clothing: the gloves, shoes, and clothes you wear for arc welding are also perfect for laser welding.

Eye Protection: welders, observers, and bystanders should wear laser safe glasses rated at least OD 6 for wavelengths of 1070 nm.

Laser Welding Helmets: welders should wear helmets designed specifically for laser welding. Laser welding helmets should contain a lens rated at least OD 6 for wavelengths of 1070 nm as well as a lens designed to provide protection from standard UV reflections. Although it is an uncommon occurrence, laser welding helmets should also be able to withstand exposure to direct and reflected laser light.

Welding Area: to help keep bystanders safe, laser welding should take place in an enclosed area such as a laser welding booth, behind laser welding curtains, or in a separate room.

Welding Fumes: in most cases, laser welding generates a lower volume of fumes than arc welding. However, adequate ventilation and/or personal respirators are still recommended.

Learn more about laser welding safety

All welding methods have advantages and disadvantages. Laser welding is better at some welding tasks than MIG, TIG, or stick welding but it is not well-suited for every application.

Due to its high precision, speed, and minimized heat input, laser welding is an excellent choice for heat-sensitive materials, high productivity environments, and precision applications. Laser welding achieves deep penetration quickly, making it ideal for some structural applications as well.

Currently, handheld laser welding machines can penetrate up to approximately 5/16”. For thicker materials that require more penetration, other welding methods may be a better option. Additionally, laser welding’s relatively narrow heating area means that parts may require better fit up, although wobble welding and single and dual wire feeding can account for wider gaps.

Laser welding can and has been used for field welding. But it is important to ensure that the laser welding area is secure and that bystanders are protected via laser safety glasses, barriers, or both. Please consult ANSI Z136.1 for more information.

Read about how Apollo Machine used LightWELD for field repairs

Laser welding works by focusing laser light into a very small spot – often less than the diameter of a human hair. By comparison, arc welding methods often focus heat into an area more than twenty times larger.

The energy density of the laser welding process is dramatically higher, resulting in a narrower, deeper seam. However, filling wider gaps and creating larger fillets can be accomplished with various wire feeding options.

Despite their appearance, laser welds are typically very strong due to how deeply they penetrate the target metal.

Laser welding can be performed with or without wire, although using wire is typical. LightWELD can be used with a single or dual wire setup depending on your desired rate of material deposition.

Laser welding is very well-suited for vertical and out of position welding due to reduced spatter and a less liquid weld pool. Additionally, laser welding can be performed with one or both hands depending on what is most comfortable.

Laser welding can be performed at powers from a few hundred watts to a few thousand. Higher powers lead to faster, deeper weld penetration and enable stronger weld joints and higher welding speeds.

The correct power for each application is ultimately dependent on the joint type, the material thickness, and the type of material. To make it easy to get started, LightWELD is shipped with a weld settings chart along with dozens of built-in presets for common materials and thicknesses.

Similar to weave welding, laser wobble welding is akin to a welder using circular or half-moon motions to control the weld puddle. Handheld laser welders like LightWELD contain special optics that can be used to automatically move the laser beam perpendicular to the weld seam.

Controls on the laser welding machine are used to fine tune the width and speed of the wobble welding pattern. These settings give welders precise control over weld properties like the shape, width, and penetration of the weld cross section.

By default, lasers are fired as a “continuous wave”, meaning that light emerges from the laser torch steadily as long as the trigger is held down. Laser pulsing is a technique used to fire the laser in short bursts.

Laser pulsing can be used to control the quality of the final weld. Pulsing is particularly useful for further reducing the heat input of the welding process, making it valuable for very thin or sensitive materials.

Laser welder controls allow operators to control pulse duration, pulse frequency, and pulse shape.

Although the laser beam emitted from the LightWELD laser torch can fully penetrate target materials, it is not designed for use as a laser cutter.

LightWELD can be used with a 100% duty cycle. A proprietary air-cooled design ensures there is no need to pause during long welding sessions to allow the machine to cool down.

To ensure unit-to-unit consistency and stability, every LightWELD unit is run at full power for 4 straight hours in our Marlborough, MA facility prior to shipping.

Although LightWELD is powered by a precisely tuned fiber laser and calibrated optics, the design of the torch, chassis, and internal components make it perfectly suited to typical shop welding and field welding environments.

While we do not recommend using LightWELD for extended periods in severe conditions, LightWELD units have undergone dozens of consecutive hours of intense exposure to contaminants like salt water and black smoke with no impact on welding performance.

Although the welder itself is impact resistant, we advise treating the LightWELD torch with care. High force impacts can cause optical misalignment that require repairs.

Laser welding does not require a pristine surface to function. Nor does it require post-weld cleaning beyond a quick brushing. However, laser cleaning can help clean particularly dirty surfaces, achieve a spotless finish, and even passivate stainless steel.

Laser cleaning uses high frequency pulsing and built-in optics to scan the laser beam across a wider area than what is used for welding. By ensuring the laser beam only makes extremely brief contact with the surface, the intense heat simply vaporizes surface contaminants rather than melting the base material underneath.

LightWELD’s laser cleaning functionality is not intended for cleaning large areas quickly. It is intended to clean the weld area before and after welding.