One of the most frequent comments on the internet about handheld laser welding over the past few years is something along the lines of “That weld is so cold and weak, my arc welds are so much stronger!”.

While it is true that handheld laser weld fillet leg lengths are typically much smaller than traditional arc welded fillets (often on the order of 0.050-0.060″), an incredible amount of strength can be achieved with handheld laser welding if the process is understood and applied correctly. Despite their small size, it is quite easy for handheld laser fillet welds to achieve the same mechanical performance as an arc weld three times their size!

This document covers the effects of machine parameters on resultant weld quality both in bead on plate and real-world fillet welds. The effects of the 8 most common handheld laser welding parameters are demonstrated in over 60 annotated weld cross sections to help readers understand how to adjust their handheld laser welding process parameters for maximum performance. The presentation also covers the relationship between wire diameter, laser power, and mechanical strength of handheld laser welds demonstrated by 22 unique tensile tests.

Sign up to gain access to HLI’s presentation from Fabtech 2025 outlining the effects of critical process parameters on weld quality and mechanical performance in austenitic stainless steels to make the most of your handheld laser welding equipment!