The price of the welder is only part of the investment. Handheld laser welding is attracting considerable attention, and for good reason. Modern systems can produce impressive welds, often with relatively little distortion and less post-weld finishing than some conventional processes. Manufacturers are also promoting faster welding speeds and shorter operator learning curves. For smaller … Read more
Connecting a laser welding system to a robot or PLC should be straightforward. So why does it sometimes turn into a software development project? By William Kane | Manufacturing With Light (MWL)November 2, 2026 I’ve spent much of my career integrating lasers, motion controllers, PLCs, and other industrial equipment into automated manufacturing systems. One thing … Read more
What makes a handheld laser welder worth more? Reliability, safety, application support, training, service, and the people behind the product can matter as much as the machine.
Facts, tradeoffs, and a few questions worth asking before choosing a machine Fiber Core Size in Handheld Laser Welding: Smaller Is Powerful — But It Isn’t the Whole Story A few months ago, when I first started taking a serious look at handheld laser welding, I was talking with a former colleague about the technology. … Read more
Handheld laser welding is becoming more than a standalone welding tool. As LightWELD moves into regular production and robotic cells, MWL is developing a customizable interface to connect the part, the operator instructions, the approved laser settings, and the production record. LightWELD Is Becoming a Production Tool I come from a background of building automated … Read more
A Manufacturing With Light Perspective September 23, 2026 I only began paying close attention to handheld laser welding a few months ago, when I started Manufacturing With Light. Now it’s clear that a lot had been happening while I wasn’t paying attention. I feel a little like I walked into a movie during the second … Read more
September 15, 2026 This is an opinion shaped by my background in controls, software, motion, and automation on laser manufacturing systems. I’m not a welding engineer. But years spent working around automated laser cutting and welding taught me one thing pretty clearly: a good laser weld normally came from developing a process, not simply choosing … Read more
Handheld laser welding is getting faster, easier to use, and more capable. But in my view, its long-term future depends on treating it like what it is: a real welding process requiring trained and qualified people. It is hard not to pay attention to handheld laser welding when you are trying to launch a newsletter … Read more
A practical, easy-to-understand guide for U.S. manufacturers and fabrication shops considering handheld laser welding. It covers safety, equipment selection, setup, process basics, materials, joint design, fume control, qualification, quality, and practical steps for getting started—supported by reliable industry, government, manufacturer, and peer-reviewed sources.
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