Laser Welding 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Technology, Applications, and Best Practices

What is Laser Welding?

Laser welding is a way to join metals and plastics. It uses a bright light beam. This beam makes a lot of heat. The heat melts the parts you want to join. When they cool, they are stuck together very well. [^1]

Laser welding is big in modern making. Many big companies use it to make:

• Cars
• Planes
• Medical tools
• Cell phones

The best thing? It is fast and exact. It makes very strong joins.

How Does Laser Welding Work?

Laser welding has some main parts:

1. A laser source – This makes the light
2. Mirrors and lenses – These aim the light
3. Shielding gas – This keeps air away

The steps are easy:

1. The laser turns on
2. The light goes through mirrors and lenses
3. The light hits the metal or plastic
4. The spot gets very hot
5. The materials melt and mix
6. They cool and join

There are two kinds of laser welding:

Type	What It Does	Best For
Conduction Welding	Heats just the top	Thin stuff
Keyhole Welding	Makes a deep hole	Thick stuff

You can also pick pulsed or continuous wave lasers. Pulsed lasers turn on and off fast. Continuous wave lasers stay on all the time. [^2]

Why Laser Welding is Good

Laser welding has many good things about it:

It is Very Exact

The laser light can focus on a very small spot. This means:

• Less heat goes to parts you don’t want to melt
• The join is clean
• No filler material is needed

It is Fast

Tests show laser welding is 5-10 times faster than old ways like MIG and TIG welding. This means you can make more things in less time. [^3]

It Works on Many Materials

You can weld many different metals with lasers:

• Steel
• Aluminum
• Titanium
• Copper

You can even join different kinds of metals together! This is hard with old welding.

It Works With Robots

Robots can hold laser welders. This makes the work even more exact. Big robot makers like Fanuc and Yaskawa make robots for laser welding.

Problems With Laser Welding

Laser welding is not perfect. Here are some hard parts:

It Costs a Lot

The machines for laser welding cost a lot of money. A good system might cost more than $100,000. But if you use it a lot, it can save money over time.

You Need Skills

You need trained people to run laser welders. They must know how to set:

• Power levels
• Speed
• The right gas mix

It Has Limits

Laser welding works best on thin or medium thick materials. For very thick parts, you might need to use it with other welding ways.

Laser Welding vs. Old Ways

How does laser welding stack up to old welding?

MIG/TIG Welding

• Slower than laser
• Makes more heat
• Can make parts bend

Plasma Arc Welding

• Uses 2-3 times more energy than laser welding
• Not as exact
• Harder to use on thin parts [^4]

Spot Welding

• Only works on metals that let electricity flow
• Can’t make complex joins
• Not as strong

Where Laser Welding is Used

Many big companies use laser welding. Here are some places:

Cars

Tesla uses laser welding for EV battery tabs. Their joins are 99.9% good. This makes their cars lighter and stronger. [^5]

Other car parts made with laser welding:

• Doors
• Frames
• Engine parts

Planes

Boeing uses fiber lasers to weld titanium turbine blades. They can weld with 0.1mm exactness. This makes plane parts:

• Lighter
• Stronger
• More safe

Medical Tools

Laser welding makes pacemakers with no leaks. This is very important because they go in people’s bodies.

Other medical uses:

• Implants
• Surgical tools
• Dental tools

Electronics

Tiny joins in circuit boards need laser welding. The parts are too small for hands to weld.

How to Start Laser Welding

Want to try laser welding? Here’s how to start:

Get Training

The AWS (American Welding Society) has classes for laser welding. You can get a certificate to show you know what you’re doing.

Good things to learn:

• Safety
• How to set up the machine
• How to pick the right settings

Pick the Right Tool

If you’re just starting, fiber lasers are good. They:

• Work on more materials
• Are more simple to use
• Last a long time

Stay Safe

Laser welding can be dangerous if you’re not careful. Always use:

• Safety glasses
• Gloves
• Masks
• Fume collectors

Follow all OSHA rules to stay safe.

Questions People Ask

What’s Next for Laser Welding

Laser welding keeps getting better. Here are some cool new things:

Smart Factories

New laser welders can connect to computers and the internet. This lets them:

• Check their own work
• Tell when they need fixing
• Share data with other machines

Green Making

New laser systems use less energy. This is good for:

• Saving money
• Helping the earth
• Making less waste

Wrap Up

Laser welding is a great tool for joining metals and plastics. It is fast, exact, and works on many materials. While it costs more at first, it can save money over time.

Is laser welding right for you? It depends on:

• What you’re making
• How many you need to make
• Your budget

For big companies making lots of parts, laser welding is often the best choice. For small shops or home use, old welding might still work better.

As laser welding gets cheaper and easier to use, more people will be able to try it. The future of joining metals is bright – just like a laser beam!

[^1]: Based on industry standard definition of laser welding from photonweld.com [^2]: Information on laser welding types from baisonlaser.com [^3]: Speed comparison data from baisonlaser.com showing laser welding is 5-10x faster than MIG/TIG [^4]: Energy consumption data from baisonlaser.com