Above: There is minimal warping and distortion with laser welding because the beams direct more heat into the weld pool.
February, 2025- Once an emerging technology, handheld laser welding has now established itself as a mainstay for many manufacturers and fabricators. But for others, it is still unclear how laser welding compares to more traditional welding methods. Let’s break down what laser welding offers, what it doesn’t and when to use it.
HOW IS LASER DIFFERENT?
Each welding method is suited for a different task, similar to how a painter would use a set of paintbrushes. In the case of arc welding and laser welding, the differences are all in the physics.
Arc welding uses electricity (electrons) while laser welding uses light (photons). Both impart energy, and thus heat, into metal, but photons pack more closely together in a beam of light than electrons do in an arc. This, among other complex subatomic reactions, determines the tasks at which each type of welding excels.
ADVANTAGES
In automated automotive and aerospace welding, laser welds are known for being extremely high quality. This quality also extends to handheld laser welding, both in appearance and in strength.
Laser welding also provides speed and productivity advantages. Lasers typically weld at rates several times higher than MIG or TIG. And, since lasers naturally create welds with excellent visual finishes, welders virtually never have to grind and can often skip other post-processing steps.
Another major benefit of laser welding is reduced heat input. With dramatically higher energy density than electric arcs, laser beams direct more heat into the weld pool and much less into the surrounding metal. The result is no or minimal warping and distortion.
DRAWBACKS
Laser welding is an incredible technology. But it is not a total replacement for MIG or TIG welding, despite what some marketing materials might suggest. One of laser welding’s greatest downsides is that it requires excellent part fit-up. This is due to the small spot size of the laser beam, which creates a smaller weld pool and narrower weld seam. This limitation can be mitigated with wobble and wire welding, but laser welding is still not ideal for filling in larger gaps.
Current handheld laser welding devices are also not capable of achieving deep weld penetration. Although lasers achieve penetration rapidly, welding deeper than 5/16 in. (8 mm) or so is not yet practical.
IS LASER WELDING RIGHT FOR YOU?
Most welders and shops can benefit from adding laser welding to their capabilities. But the technology is not a perfect fit for everyone. For most sheet metal welding tasks, laser welding is unparalleled. The speed, quality and lack of distortion offered almost guarantee better results and higher productivity.
Laser welding has also proven invaluable for many fabricators working with pressure vessels, architectural and structural assemblies, and even art pieces. However, laser welding may not be a good fit for operations primarily handling thicker materials or parts with poor fit up. Laser welding workspaces must also take proper safety measures, and this can be straightforward in a shop environment but is trickier for field welding.
COMPLETING YOUR TOOLKIT
Laser welders like LightWELD are not a replacement for traditional welding methods, but they are another tool in the modern welding toolkit. For fabricators that are interested in expanding their capabilities with laser welding, LightWELD devices can be tested in person, or fabricators can send samples to the manufacturer for a free evaluation or view online demos.
Joy Roy, LightWELD, lightweld.com.
