Arc Welding Vs Laser Welding
Key differences and Advantages

Welding is the process by which materials, typically metals, are fused using high temperature heat to form a strong joint between metals. The two major classification of Welding methods are Fusion Welding & Pressure Welding. Within the category of Fusion Welding, Arc Welding and Gas Welding are considered as more conventional methods whereas Laser Beam Welding, Electron Beam Welding, Plasma Arc Welding etc. are termed as advanced Welding processes. This blog intends to point out some of the key advantages and differences of Arc Welding and Laser Welding.

Arc Welding

Arc Welding refers to the most commonly employed Welding method which involves using heat generated by an electric arc to fuse the metal parts together. An additional filler material in the form of wire or rod may be added to the weld to strengthen the joint.

There are various types of Arc Welding methods:

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), often called Stick Welding, is one of the most widely used Welding processes in which an electric arc is created between a flux-coated consumable electrode or the "stick" and the workpiece.

Metal Inert Gas Welding (MIG)

This weld is created using a consumable wire component that acts as both filler and electrode.

Tungsten inert gas Welding (TIG)

In this Welding method, the weld bead is created by heating the workpiece using a non-consumable tungsten electrode. In some instances, metal fillers may be used to strengthen the weld joint.

Laser Welding

Laser Welding is the process of using a focused Laser beam, instead of the electric arc to heat the metal workpieces, which will in turn melt, cool and then join to form a strong weld. Laser beam produces a concentrated heat source which is localized to a particular point.

It prevents the spreading of heat to the other areas of the workpiece, protecting it from damage.

Advantages of Arc Welding

Arc Welding methods still serve as a good fabricating solution to many industries.

• The investment cost of Arc Welding is comparatively low, which ideally fits the budget range.
• Being the most common method that is in fact still prevalent in many industries, it is easier to understand and work with it.
• The Welding process can be done manually at a faster pace.

Advantages of Laser Welding

Laser Welding is more advanced than the Arc methods, its advantages are as follows:

• Since the Laser is directed at a specific point, heat will be concentrated only on that spot in particular and it significantly reduces the heat-affected zone. Its precision makes it an ideal choice for working on thin workpieces.
• Laser Welding has comparatively high initial investment. But in the long run Laser Welding will turn out to be more cost-effective, owing to its high processing speed, which will enhance productivity.

Arc Welding is the most commonly used method having application in diverse fields including general construction, ship building, aerospace industry etc. Being a manual process, Arc Welding is subject to certain limitations which include lack of high level precision when it comes to dealing with thin metal workpieces, the risk of creating heataffected-zones.

Laser Welding on the other hand is an advanced technique which is more precise, efficient and productive. Arc Welding will not be outdated as it is still utilized by many industries. But owing to its precision and accuracy, Laser Welding is gradually becoming the popular choice among the various metal processing industries.

Al Shurooq industries are committed to provide the best Welding services in Dubai, both conventional methods and Laser welding ensuring efficiency, consistency and accuracy offering tailored solutions to the modern Welding requirements.