Arc vs photons. Skilled hand vs automation. Both make great welds.

Laser concentrates high energy in small area — creates narrow weld with minimal heat spreading into base material. Heat-affected zone 0.3-1mm wide vs TIG's 2-5mm. Less heat expansion of surrounding material means less cooling shrinkage and less distortion. For precision post-weld dimensions, laser often enables welded parts that don't need post-weld machining.

Properly executed, both produce full-strength welds matching base material. Differences: TIG weld bead typically has slower cooling rate, more ductile weld metal. Laser weld with keyhole mode has rapid solidification — can be harder, potentially more brittle. Proper post-weld treatment (stress relief, heat treatment) normalizes differences. For critical welds, test per application — both processes capable of meeting aerospace/medical requirements.

TIG economics: low equipment cost, higher per-weld labor. At $50/hour labor and 2 minutes per weld = $1.67 per weld + setup. Laser: high equipment cost amortized, low per-weld. At fully-automated $200K laser, 10-second welds × 10,000 welds per day = $0.50 per weld after depreciation. Break-even around 1,000-5,000 parts per year depending on weld complexity. Below that, TIG wins; above that, laser wins.

Better than TIG for many dissimilar combinations. Narrow HAZ limits intermetallic formation. Copper-aluminum (battery tabs): laser welding standard, nearly impossible with TIG. Aluminum-steel: possible with laser using specific parameters. For complex metallurgical combinations, laser often enables welds TIG cannot make.

Fit-up critical: laser has small working tolerance (0.1-0.2mm joint gap maximum). TIG tolerates 0.5-1mm gap with filler. Reflective materials (copper, gold): fiber laser works but requires specific parameters. Complex 3D geometry: requires 5-axis robotic integration. For custom or poor-fit-up welding, TIG is more forgiving and appropriate.

TIG welding: extensive in-house capability, multiple welders qualified for various materials. Aluminum 5052/6061/7075, stainless 304/316L, Inconel 718, titanium Ti Gr.5. Laser welding: we partner with specialty laser welding shops for production work. Integrated workflow — we handle machining, welding partner handles welding, we finish. For prototype or complex 3D welding, we keep TIG work in-house for fastest turnaround.