Hybrid laser welding. Combining a laser beam with a MIG torch creates a rugged, flexible, efficient welding process

Laser are hybrid welding has been investigated since 1978, when Prof. Steen and coworkers in the UK published their first paper about Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) augmented laser welding. By replacing the TIG electrode with a wire fed electrode, the heat of the arc and the molten filler material of the wire are transfered to the welding zone by the Metal Inert Gas (MIG) or Gas Metal Arc (GMA) process. Only recently was the first industrial laser-MIG hybrid system put into operation by Fraunhofer-ILT (Aachen, Germany) at Stefan Nau GmbH & Co. KG (Dettenhausen, Germany).