
As a rule, the stability of the welded joint and the speed of welding are better than with traditional joining techniques. Add to this the fine focus of the laser light, which means that warming is minimal, and the thermal stress in the workpiece is extremely slight. Laser welding uses a focused laser beam to melt metal in a very localized area. Laser processing offers many advantages over commonly used welding methods including high processing rates, fast cooling rates, and a low overall heat input. This results in narrow heat affected zones and low distortion.
Laser welding is being used for a wide variety of metals, including difficult to weld metals such as titanium, aluminium, gold and silver, as well as dissimilar metals.