Recent developments now make it possible to have laser sources which combine performance with compactness – several hundred Watts in less than 20 cm high. These equipments produce a beam of such high quality that they are capable of welding spots just a few tens of microns in diameter. The same laser can operate in either pulse or continuous mode, making it possible to cover an extremely broad range of applications and to work on a large spectrum of conventional and precious metals. . (…)