Potential of handheld laser beam welding

Since 2023 at the latest, handheld laser beam welding systems (HLBW) gained interest by many companies. This is mainly due to two factors. Firstly, the cost of such a system has fallen considerably in recent years. Secondly, there is an economic pressure for the manufactures of welded products, partly due to the shortage of skilled workers. This publication addresses various aspects of HLBW, in particular the current state of the art and the potential applications. The higher throughput, less straightening work due to the lower heat input, and the use of less experienced personnel has to be mentioned here. However, welders still need to be qualified, especially to get informed about the hazards of laser radiation. In addition to welding, many systems for HLBW also include a cleaning function, some even a cutting function. The risks to be considered for both last mentioned are significantly greater, since on one hand, a touchdown or contact control is often omitted and on the other, the laser beam is conditioned for a longer working distance. For HLBW, the requirements of the process must be taken into account during the design phase already. This continues with edge preparation, e.g. pre-weld cleaning. HLBW is a supplement to traditional arc welding processes. Arc processes will be still used in the future as well, e.g. for small, complex geometries or in terms of accessibility. However, for longer welds, e.g. 1.5 m long 2 mm thick stainless steel sheets, HLBW sets currently the standard, especially with regard to the welding speed for manual welding.