August 27, 2026 Is Laser Welding Ready for the Mainstream? MWL Laser Manufacturing Weekly — Fifth Edition August 27, 2026 This week, we look at a question I think we’re going to hear more often: Is laser welding finally ready to move deeper into mainstream U.S. fabrication? We also look at a laser cutter that … Read more
From LPBF Distortion to Machine Uptime: This Week in Laser Manufacturing
This week’s stories cover very different parts of manufacturing with light, but I think a common thread runs through them.
Getting a laser process to work is only part of the job. We also have to make it predictable, traceable, maintainable, and useful in production.
This week we look at LPBF distortion compensation, automated medical stent welding, growth in industrial laser applications, and using machine data to improve uptime. We are also introducing a new MWL Product Watch and our first recurring MWL Automation Note.
A look at four developments in laser manufacturing that caught my attention this week — from precision motion for medical-device manufacturing to very-high-power cutting, semiconductor processing, and an interesting new approach to machining sapphire. Precision Motion Targets Medical Tube Laser Cutting Aerotech’s new LaserTurn280 motion platform is designed for cylindrical laser processing applications such as … Read more
This week’s issue looks at the less glamorous work that turns laser technology into a dependable
manufacturing process. Fraunhofer ILT is developing localized laser methods for applying PFAS-free
functional coatings. Chiba University is investigating whether the tiny recoil force created during
ablation can provide real-time feedback on processing depth and breakthrough. A second Fraunhofer
story follows extreme high-speed laser material deposition from development into automotive series
production.
