IPG Photonics

04/02/2026

We’re at Expo Manufactura 2026 in Cintermex, Monterrey! 🙌
Tomorrow is the last day, so don’t miss out!
📍 Booth 1516
Come check out:
✨LightWELD handheld welding & cleaning
🤖Cobot welding and cleaning solutions
Stop by, see live demos, and chat with our team—we’d love to see you there!

22/01/2026

🏆 We’re honored to share that IPG Photonics has won the 2026 SPIE Prism Award in the Lasers category 🏆

Our winning innovation—a novel 8-kilowatt compact single-mode laser source with M² < 1.1—represents the culmination of 35 years of continuous IPG laser innovation, pushing the boundaries of performance, beam quality, and reliability. IPG executives and laser scientists were proud to be in attendance to accept this honor on behalf of the entire organization.

Thank you to SPIE for this recognition, and to our customers and partners who inspire us to keep innovating.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/4a8xCWH

16/01/2026

"LASER WELDS ARE WEAK." OR ARE THEY?

Handheld laser welding is changing the game in fabrication, but myths still linger. One of the biggest? That laser welds can’t match the strength of traditional arc welds.

The truth is, laser welds often outperform arc welds in strength tests. In our latest blog, we break down why and review strength-test data to prove it.

Read our blog here: https://vist.ly/4n3xd

The factors and principles of laser weld strength meet real-world strength test data.

15/01/2026

5 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR LASER WELDING EV BATTERIES

In the world of EV battery manufacturing, laser welding is a cornerstone technology, offering unparalleled precision, reliability, and efficiency for joining battery cells and busbars.

Laser welding enables the production of consistently high-quality batteries and battery assemblies and allows for more complex, higher-performance EV battery designs. However, taking full advantage of the undeniable benefits of laser welding requires some key considerations from tooling to quality assurance (QA) before battery production can begin.

🔗Read more here: https://vist.ly/4mwr4

In the world of EV battery manufacturing, laser welding is a cornerstone technology. However, taking full advantage of of laser welding requires some key considerations before battery production can begin.

13/01/2026

LASER CUTTING VS. PLASMA CUTTING

The way we think about cutting thick metal with fiber lasers is rapidly changing.

High-power fiber lasers, now available in powers exceeding 100 kilowatts, have flipped the script, challenging many long-held assumptions about cost, speed, and performance. Today's high-power fiber laser cutters are no longer primarily limited to thin metals: they now consistently outperform plasma cutters on materials thicker than 2 inches (50 mm).

This guide summarizes the technological breakthroughs driving these changes and provides a data-driven comparison between fiber lasers and plasma cutters, before answering the critical question: when is a laser cutter actually more economical than a plasma cutter?

🔗 Read more: https://vist.ly/4mp8v

Data proves that long-standing wisdom about cutting thick metal with fiber lasers is outdated.

08/01/2026

5 YEARS LATER: LASER WELDING IS HERE TO STAY

Five years ago, laser welding was viewed as an emerging technology. Today, it has become a proven, practical solution, delivering real results on the shop floor.

In our latest blog, we take a look at the tech’s journey so far, and where it’s headed next.

🔗 Read more: https://vist.ly/4m45b

With 5 years under the hood, laser welding has the potential to become a fabrication mainstay.

06/01/2026

DRIVING PRODUCTIVITY & INNOVATION IN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING 🚗

From welding to battery assembly and power electronics, laser technology now underpins critical processes across automotive manufacturing.

As OEMs and suppliers push for precision and automation to meet e-mobility demands, lasers deliver unmatched speed, accuracy, and flexibility.

📖 Read more about their role in modern automotive production: https://vist.ly/4ks69

Lasers now touch almost every corner of automotive production. Here's why they're staying in the driver's seat.

29/12/2025

HOW TO CERTIFY LASER WELDS TO CODE

No matter how confident you are in a welding process, it is sometimes necessary to certify it – and laser welding is no exception.

Our latest blog breaks down the key differences in welding parameters and equipment specs you need to know to achieve code compliance.

🔗Read our blog here: https://vist.ly/4j2ug

Learn how to certify handheld laser welding processes to codes like AWS D1.1, D1.2, and D1.6. Understand key differences in WPS creation, equipment specs, and welding parameters.

23/12/2025

REVIVING THE BARNES SPECIAL: HOW LIGHTWELD IS POWERING INNOVATION

At SEMA 2025, the LightWELD booth featured not only the industry’s leading handheld laser welder, but also a special guest.

The Barnes Special, originally envisioned by Al Barnes and entrusted to Jay Leno, was revived in Jay’s shop by master fabricator Jimmy Hudson using the LightWELD Handheld Laser Cleaning and Welding system.

Jimmy’s first challenge? An aerodynamic aluminum headrest polished to a mirror shine with an invisible weld seam, a detail that’s notoriously hard to achieve. Next, he tackled curved flanges welded to flat stock, simulating the return edge of a door or panel interface. A type of weld that traditionally risks distortion and demands extensive cleanup. However, with LightWELD, the results were clean, consistent, and impressively efficient.

Time and again, the system produced welds that would have been challenging to achieve using conventional methods. This transformation turned the Barnes Special into a functional display of artistry while honoring Al Barnes’ engineering legacy.