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Why the material, the joint and the allowed heat input come before the parameter screen, which modes the Nd:YAG and fibre laser series offer, and why a test weld settles the choice faster than any table
Pulsed, continuous wave or SPT: three questions that decide the operating mode before the first seam on tool steel, stainless steel or titanium
Hanau, 14.10.2026 (PresseBox) - Pulsed mode with pulses from 0.05 ms keeps heat input low, CW suits long seams, SPT protects crack-sensitive alloys: the mode is set before the parameters.
Operators often open the parameter screen first. Choosing the operating mode comes earlier and is simpler. The step-by-step guide to switching between CW, pulsed and SPT modes shows the steps on the control. This piece is not a summary of that guide; it is a three-question decision aid.
Question one: what does the material tolerate?
Match heat input to material behaviour. SPT modulates the pulse on a microsecond scale and keeps the heat-affected zone small on sensitive or reactive grades. For general work, pulsed delivers controlled bursts with minimal distortion. - High-carbon tool steels: use SPT to keep heat input local. - Titanium and other reactive alloys: use SPT for fine control. - Stainless steels for general maintenance: start with pulsed mode. - Mixed or unknown special alloys: start with pulsed, verify with a test weld.
Question two: what does the joint need?
Let geometry and section thickness drive the choice. Fine spot repairs, edge build-ups and localised seams point to pulsed for precise heat input and low distortion. Long, uniform seams and thicker sections suit CW on the Fibre series, but manage heat input on heat-sensitive parts. On Sigma Laser systems, the series sets the options: the Light series uses a pulsed Nd:YAG source at 1064 nm and supports pulsed mode and SPT, not CW. The Fibre series uses a ytterbium fibre source at 1070 nm and supports pulsed, CW and SPT. SPT is available on all six Sigma Laser systems. Selecting CW on a Light series system is not possible; the hardware does not support it. In practice a Light series system covers repair and fine work, while the Fibre series adds seam welding in series production.
Question three: what does a test weld tell you?
Set the mode in Sigomatic, then verify. Select the mode on the control and confirm parameters and results with a test weld before production. Check whether the seam form and heat tint meet the requirement, then refine the window. "We decide the mode by the material and the joint, never by habit. For titanium and high-carbon tool steels that usually means SPT, and a test weld then shows within minutes whether the window is right," says Alexander Bellouzi, Senior Design & Engineering at Sigma Laser.
Where material, joint and parameters do not fall into place on the first attempt, a second opinion saves test time. Anyone who wants to settle these questions for a specific part can use the application advice from Sigma Laser's engineers.
Operators often open the parameter screen first. Choosing the operating mode comes earlier and is simpler. The step-by-step guide to switching between CW, pulsed and SPT modes shows the steps on the control. This piece is not a summary of that guide; it is a three-question decision aid.
Question one: what does the material tolerate?
Match heat input to material behaviour. SPT modulates the pulse on a microsecond scale and keeps the heat-affected zone small on sensitive or reactive grades. For general work, pulsed delivers controlled bursts with minimal distortion. - High-carbon tool steels: use SPT to keep heat input local. - Titanium and other reactive alloys: use SPT for fine control. - Stainless steels for general maintenance: start with pulsed mode. - Mixed or unknown special alloys: start with pulsed, verify with a test weld.
Question two: what does the joint need?
Let geometry and section thickness drive the choice. Fine spot repairs, edge build-ups and localised seams point to pulsed for precise heat input and low distortion. Long, uniform seams and thicker sections suit CW on the Fibre series, but manage heat input on heat-sensitive parts. On Sigma Laser systems, the series sets the options: the Light series uses a pulsed Nd:YAG source at 1064 nm and supports pulsed mode and SPT, not CW. The Fibre series uses a ytterbium fibre source at 1070 nm and supports pulsed, CW and SPT. SPT is available on all six Sigma Laser systems. Selecting CW on a Light series system is not possible; the hardware does not support it. In practice a Light series system covers repair and fine work, while the Fibre series adds seam welding in series production.
Question three: what does a test weld tell you?
Set the mode in Sigomatic, then verify. Select the mode on the control and confirm parameters and results with a test weld before production. Check whether the seam form and heat tint meet the requirement, then refine the window. "We decide the mode by the material and the joint, never by habit. For titanium and high-carbon tool steels that usually means SPT, and a test weld then shows within minutes whether the window is right," says Alexander Bellouzi, Senior Design & Engineering at Sigma Laser.
Where material, joint and parameters do not fall into place on the first attempt, a second opinion saves test time. Anyone who wants to settle these questions for a specific part can use the application advice from Sigma Laser's engineers.
Über "Sigma Laser GmbH":
Sigma Laser has developed and manufactured industrial laser welding systems in Hanau, Germany, since 2005. The range comprises six five-axis systems – mobile (Sineo Light, Sineo Fibre, Sirius Light) and stationary (Sidanus Light, Sidanus Fibre, Siega Fibre) – with Nd:YAG (1064 nm) or fibre laser sources (1070 nm), complemented by Simass automation modules and Super Pulse Technology. The Sineo system won the German Design Award 2025; customers are located in more than 25 countries.