Industrial Aluminum Laser Welding Guide

For many fabrication shops, aluminum is a love–hate material: it sells well, but welding it consistently is hard. Thin 1–3 mm sheets tend to warp with TIG/MIG, and it’s easy to burn through edges or distort profiles. This is exactly where fiber laser welding can make a big difference.

This guide focuses on industrial laser welding of 1–3 mm aluminum sheets. All example settings below are taken from real production tests on the GWEIKE M-Series 6-in-1 fiber laser system , and can be used as a starting point for your own process window.

Why is aluminum welding so challenging?

From a physics point of view, aluminum is simply less forgiving than stainless or carbon steel:

• High reflectivity – it reflects a large portion of near-infrared laser light, so you need higher power density.
• High thermal conductivity – heat spreads quickly, which makes full penetration harder on thin sheets.
• Large thermal expansion – thin aluminum parts tend to distort when you put too much heat in one area.
• Very fluid molten pool – if the pool is not well controlled, it can sag, undercut, or lose shape easily.

With conventional TIG/MIG, you are often balancing between “not enough penetration” and “burn-through”. Laser welding approaches the problem differently: by precisely controlling power, frequency, wobble width, focus position and shielding gas, you can tune heat input to the thickness instead of relying on operator feel.

Why use laser welding for 1–3 mm aluminum?

• Much lower distortion — narrow welds and concentrated energy reduce heat-affected zones.
• Clean, narrow seams — with wobble welding, appearance is repeatable and easy to polish.
• Higher travel speeds — ideal for long seams on door frames, enclosures and structural parts.
• Easy to automate — fiber laser welding integrates well with robots, gantry systems and fixtures.
• Less post-processing — less spatter and a more stable bead mean less grinding and rework.

For manufacturers of aluminum frames, cabinets, housings and structural components, laser welding turns a “welder-dependent” process into a repeatable, programmable operation.

1200 W aluminum welding window (real M-Series data)

The table below shows reference settings for welding 1–2 mm aluminum with a 1200 W fiber laser on GWEIKE M-Series. We use nitrogen shielding with a flow rate of ≥ 20 L/min. For aluminum, the focal position is set slightly above the surface, typically +3–5 mm, to soften the keyhole and reduce burn-through.

How to read this table:

• As thickness increases from 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, peak power rises from 50% to 85% to compensate for heat conduction and keep full penetration.
• The scanning frequency drops from 100 Hz to 40 Hz, which increases energy per spot and stabilizes the molten pool on thicker sections.
• Wobble width grows from 2.5 mm to 4 mm, widening the seam to tolerate joint gaps while maintaining penetration.
• Wire feed is slightly reduced on thicker plates to keep bead height and dilution under control.

800 W aluminum welding window (real M-Series data)

For thinner parts or applications with lower strength requirements, an 800 W configuration is a cost-effective option. Below are reference settings for 1–1.5 mm aluminum:

Five key variables that make or break aluminum welds

Peak power

Because aluminum reflects and conducts heat so efficiently, it usually needs higher peak power than steel at the same thickness. In the 2 mm example, we are already close to 85% peak power on a 1200 W source. If you see lack of fusion, narrow beads or intermittent penetration, check power first.

Scanning frequency

Scanning frequency controls how long the beam dwells at each point and how much energy goes into a given spot. For 1 mm sheets, 80–100 Hz is a good compromise between speed and surface quality. As you move to 1.5–2 mm, dropping to around 40 Hz gives a deeper, more stable keyhole.

Wobble width

Wobble (or scanning) width determines bead width and how forgiving the process is to joint gaps. A very narrow wobble may look sharp, but even small gaps can cause lack of fusion. In our tests, 2.5–4 mm wobble works well for 1–2 mm aluminum, balancing penetration and gap coverage.

Focus position

Aluminum is sensitive to focus shift. On M-Series we typically use:

• Stainless / carbon steel: focus at or slightly below the surface (0 mm).
• Aluminum: focus raised to +3–5 mm above the surface.

This positive defocus softens the keyhole, reduces spatter and lowers burn-through risk on thin material. A 1–2 mm focus error that might be acceptable on steel can visibly degrade quality on aluminum, which is why automatic focusing and stable optics are so important.

Shielding gas

For most industrial aluminum welding on M-Series we recommend nitrogen shielding at ≥ 20 L/min. Higher flow helps prevent oxidation and porosity and improves bead appearance. For applications with extremely high cosmetic requirements, argon or mixed gases can be evaluated in sample runs.

Laser vs TIG/MIG on 1–3 mm aluminum

Many shops considering laser already have years of experience with TIG/MIG. The real question is: is it worth changing? The comparison below summarizes what we typically see in customer trials.

What makes GWEIKE M-Series strong on aluminum?

Based on the process windows above, the M-Series has several practical advantages for aluminum sheet fabrication:

• Real, published process data
  The tables in this guide come from our own production-level testing, not from generic “can weld aluminum” marketing claims. This gives your engineers a concrete starting point instead of a blank page.
• 6-in-1 multi-function platform
  One M-Series system combines welding, cutting, cleaning and other processes in a single footprint. For aluminum frames and structural parts this means one machine can cover pre-cleaning, welding and post-treatment.
• Bus-type CNC and auto-focus optics
  Stable control of power, focus position and wobble parameters is critical on aluminum. The bus-type control system and automatic focusing head help keep those variables consistent from shift to shift.
• Advanced wobble head
  Multiple wobble modes and programmable widths make it easier to handle variable gaps, lap joints and fillet welds, while still producing cosmetic seams.
• Application support and parameter libraries
  Our team maintains parameter libraries for aluminum, stainless and carbon steel. When you start a new project, we can share a tuned starting window instead of leaving you to trial-and-error everything from scratch.

Typical industries and applications

M-Series aluminum welding is already in use in applications such as:

• Aluminum doors, windows and façade profiles
• Electrical cabinets, control panels and enclosures
• Automotive and motorcycle brackets, steps and supports
• Appliance housings and kitchen equipment
• Industrial aluminum frames and structural assemblies

Summary & next steps

Aluminum welding will probably never be “easy”, but with a stable laser process window it can become predictable and scalable. The 800 W and 1200 W settings in this guide are proven starting points for 1–3 mm material. From there, your team can fine-tune for your specific alloy, joint design and production speed.

If you are evaluating laser as a replacement or complement to TIG/MIG, or you want a dedicated process for your own aluminum parts, our engineers can help you review drawings, recommend settings and arrange test welds on M-Series.