Automated Laser Welding for Medical Device and Aerospace Manufacturing: What to Consider
In medical device, manufacturing, and aerospace welding, a weld is rarely just a join. It is a feature that has to survive inspection, qualification, and years of service.
A cracked or porous weld on a surgical instrument or a sensor housing is not a cosmetic problem. It is a failed part, and can result in a failed audit. That standard is what pushes many precision manufacturers towards automated pulsed laser welding.
This post covers what laser welding actually gives you, when automating it is worth the investment, when it is not, and what to look for in a system, using the Orion® LZR® AWL as a working example.
Why Laser Welding for Precision Parts
Pulsed laser welding puts a small amount of energy into a very small area for a very short time. In practice, that buys you three things that matter on precision parts:
A Small Heat-Affected Zone
Because so little surrounding metal reaches high temperature, you get less distortion and less annealing. That is what makes laser welding viable on thin walls, small features, and heat-sensitive assemblies that other processes would warp.
Non-Contact Welding
Nothing touches the part. There is no electrode wear and no mechanical force pressing on delicate geometry.
Fine, Localized Welds
Spot sizes down to a fraction of a millimeter make it practical to weld very small components.
The AWL 245-A power numbers speak for themself, it runs 100 W of average power but up to 12 kW of peak power. The high peak delivers enough instantaneous energy to melt metal cleanly, while the low average keeps total heat input, and distortion down. Energy per pulse is adjustable from 0.1 to 245 J, so the same machine can place a light tack on a thin membrane and a deeper weld on a heavier section.
Two details matter more in medical and aerospace work than elsewhere.
First, reactive metals like titanium, common in implants and airframe components, pick up oxygen and embrittle if they are welded in open air. The AWL argon shielding nozzle blankets the weld to protect it with argon gas.
Second, reflective or crack-sensitive alloys often weld poorly with a flat energy pulse. Controlling the weld pulse, adjusts how power ramps up and tails off. The AWL ships with six pulse-shaping presets as starting points to reduce cracking and weld spatter.
When Automation Earns Its Keep, and When It Does Not
Automation improves welding consistency and throughput when it matters most.
Automation is worth the investment when:
- You run the same part repeatedly and need weld placement to be repeatable and provide identical results every time.
- Volumes are high enough that positioning by hand becomes the bottleneck.
- Parts have welds at multiple angles or positions that are awkward to reach manually.
It is harder to justify when your work is low-volume, one-off, or highly variable. If doing repair work, where a skilled operator with a hand-held or manual system gets the same result for a fraction of the outlay sounds more like your shop, it is worth talking through Sunstone® hand-held and manual laser options before committing to an automated laser welder.
What to Look for in an Automated Laser Welder
If you have decided automation fits, these are the things worth comparing across systems, with where the AWL lands on each:
Power Range and Control
Look at average and peak power, the energy-per-pulse range, and whether you can shape the weld pulse. A wider range means one machine covers more of your parts. The AWL offers 100 W average power, 12 kW peak power, 0.1 to 245 J, and six pulse-shaping presets.
Positioning
Motorized axes make placement repeatable. Rotation lets you weld around a part without re-fixturing it. The AWL includes a motorized XYZ table with a 110 × 88 × 195 mm working area and joystick control, plus optional R-axis rotation.
Chamber Type
An open chamber accepts bulky or oddly shaped assemblies that will not fit inside a closed cabinet. A closed cabinet offers more containment. The AWL uses an open chamber and supports a 35 kg maximum load.
Repeatability
Stored parameters in the 245-A model let you save a dialed-in setup and recall it exactly, so the same weld runs consistently across operators and shifts. The AWL includes 100 memory cells.
Visualization
Good optics and a camera make accurate placement far easier, especially on small features. The AWL includes 10× LEICA optics with an inline HD camera on a 7-inch touchscreen.
Serviceability
In a production setting, warranty length and support access are part of the real cost of ownership. The AWL is manufactured in Italy, backed by a three-year warranty, and supported by Sunstone®.
What Applications Can the Orion® LZR® AWL Fit?
The AWL is built for repeatable, high-integrity welds on small and delicate parts. Its strongest fit is medical device, general manufacturing, and aerospace welding, along with any other work where precision and consistency are not optional.
It is also capable in:
- R&D and prototype assembly
- Dental and orthodontic appliance fabrication
- Fine mixed-component work
It comes in two power output options: the LZR® AWL 245 ($42,900 and non-automated), and LZR® AWL 245-A ($44,900 and automated).
What are the Differences Between the LZR® AWL 245 and the LZR® AWL 245-A?
The AWL 245 gives operators precise, hands-on control using an intuitive joystick, making it easy to position the weld with exceptional accuracy.
The AWL 245-A builds on this same precision by adding powerful automation features directly through the touchscreen, including Path Record, Point-to-Point Programming, and G-Code support. Whether producing a single part or running high-volume production, the AWL 245-A delivers consistent, repeatable welds with minimal operator input, making it easy for even new operators to achieve professional results.
Technical Specifications
| Specification |
Orion® LZR® AWL 245-A Option |
| Laser source / wavelength |
Nd:YAG 1064 nm |
| Average power |
100 W |
| Peak power |
12 kW |
| Energy range |
0.1 to 245 J |
| Impulse duration |
0.1 to 25 ms |
| Pulse frequency |
0.5 to 30 Hz |
| Spot diameter |
0.2 to 2.0mm standard, 0.1mm as optional upgrade |
| Height adjustment |
Motorized, 30 positions |
| Pulse-shaping programs |
6 presets |
| Memory cells |
100 |
| Table movement (XYZ) |
110 × 88 × 195 mm |
| Table movement accuracy |
10 micron or 0.01 mm |
| Max load |
35 kg |
| Weight |
210 lbs |
| Power requirement |
110 V AC, 50/60 Hz, single phase, 10 A |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) |
53.2 × 34.3 × 26.4 in (135 × 87 × 67 cm) |
| Argon / air nozzle |
Yes / Yes |
| Integrated camera |
Yes |
| Wi-Fi |
Yes |
Pricing and SKU Information
See It in Action
These videos show the Orion® AWL in operation, including focusing, positioning, and actual welding in a controlled environment, so you can see the workflow before you buy.
Need help deciding?
If you are weighing whether the AWL fits your parts and volumes, Sunstone® can walk through your application and, where it helps, evaluate a sample weld.
You can also call or text +1 801-658-0015, and ask about training if you want your operators up to speed quickly.
