LightWELD’s latest piece looks back at the first five years of modern handheld laser welding systems, starting from around 2020 and moving to today, where the market has expanded with many machines and users worldwide. The main message is simple: handheld laser welding is no longer a “maybe later” tool—shops are already using it across different scales, from small studios to bigger production floors.
The article describes the early doubts and the reasons behind them: cost, risk, and the fact that welding changes are hard to accept in real production. It also notes early limits (power, penetration, little or no wire support) and says safety gear and enclosures were once limited, but have become easier to find and more practical over time.
Burcin Vargel
On performance, the article argues that strength and penetration are key talking points, and it points to test results and industry studies to convince skeptical engineers and welders. It also stresses a “toolbox” mindset—laser is not for every job—and highlights a real barrier for many shops: code work. Still, it says progress is happening, including handheld laser welding being included in ASME BPVC Section IX (2023) and acceptance steps from the Canadian Welding Bureau in 2024.
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