Laser Welding

Laser welding fuses metals with a focused laser beam, enabling narrow, low-distortion welds on precise, often thin or delicate components.

Overview

Laser welding (laser beam welding) uses a high-energy focused laser to create deep, narrow welds with minimal heat input and distortion. It excels on thin sections, small welds, and components where precision, low spatter, and clean aesthetics matter. The process can be highly automated, easily integrated with robots or CNC motion, and works well for both micro welds and high-speed production seams.

Choose laser welding when you need tight control of weld size and location, limited heat-affected zones, and high repeatability—such as in medical devices, electronics, or sealed enclosures. It handles many steels, aluminum, titanium, and nickel alloys but demands good joint fit-up, access for the beam, and careful fixturing. Tradeoffs include higher equipment cost, sensitivity to gaps and joint cleanliness, and limits on very thick sections unless multi-pass or keyhole techniques are used.

Common Materials

  • Stainless steel 304
  • Stainless steel 316
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Carbon steel 1018
  • Titanium Grade 5
  • Inconel 718

Tolerances

±0.005" to ±0.010"

Applications

  • Hermetic sensor and electronics housings
  • Battery tabs and busbars
  • Medical device implants and tools
  • Thin-walled automotive brackets and exhaust components
  • Precision instrument and optics housings
  • Small gear and actuator assemblies

When to Choose Laser Welding

Use laser welding for precise, low-distortion joints on thin or delicate metal parts, especially where appearance and repeatability are critical. It fits well for automated production, small weld beads, and hermetic or high-integrity seams where tight heat control matters. It is most economical on medium to high volumes or parts that benefit from reduced post-weld rework.

vs MIG (GMAW)

Choose laser welding over MIG when you need narrow, low-spatter welds, minimal distortion, or very small beads on thin material. Laser is better when you plan robotic automation with tight positional accuracy or require reduced post-weld grinding and finishing.

vs TIG (GTAW)

Choose laser welding over TIG when you need higher speed, smaller heat-affected zones, and more consistent automated welds. Laser is preferable for micro welds, hermetic seals, or parts where torch access is limited but a focused beam path can be arranged.

vs Stick (SMAW)

Choose laser welding over Stick when you need precision, cleanliness, or repeatable production rather than field repair or heavy structural work. Laser welding delivers far less spatter and distortion and is suited to shop-based, fixtured assemblies and small components.

vs Brazing & Soldering

Choose laser welding when you need a full-fusion metallic joint with higher strength and temperature resistance than brazed or soldered joints. Laser is ideal where joint gap is small and you want to avoid filler metals that could affect electrical, thermal, or biocompatibility properties.

vs Electron Beam Welding

Choose laser welding over electron beam when you want similar narrow, deep welds without a vacuum chamber and with easier integration into standard production lines. Laser fits better for higher throughput, larger parts, or where vacuum size and pump-down time would be a bottleneck.

Design Considerations

  • Keep joint gaps tight, typically ≤0.002–0.004" for thin sections, to avoid porosity and inconsistent penetration
  • Favor simple lap or butt joints with consistent fit-up and avoid complex multi-layer stack-ups that are hard to clamp flat
  • Provide clear line-of-sight access for the laser head and allow space for shielding gas nozzles or optics
  • Specify allowed distortion, cosmetic requirements, and any need for full penetration so the shop can choose power, speed, and focus appropriately
  • Design rigid, repeatable fixturing surfaces near the weld zone to control part movement under thermal load
  • Avoid highly reflective surfaces at the weld line (e.g., polished aluminum) or call out surface preparation to improve energy absorption