Hybrid laser-arc welding

Hybrid laser-arc welding combines a high-power laser beam and a gas-metal arc (MAG) in one process zone, the laser driving a deep keyhole for penetration and the arc adding filler metal to bridge fit-up gaps and shape the weld. A single hybrid pass welds plate that would need several arc passes, cutting heat input, weld metal volume, and distortion on panel-line butt seams. The laser narrows the weld and the arc widens process tolerance to root gaps, which fixes the brittleness of pure laser welds in shipbuilding steel. Class societies issue laser-hybrid approvals for hull thicknesses up to roughly 15 mm, with toughness and hardness limits on the narrow heat-affected zone.