Outstanding advantages, yet long without unified standards

Laser-arc hybrid welding combines the high-energy precision of the laser with the gap-bridging adaptability of the arc, making it a core advanced technology for steel-structure welding. Compared with traditional arc welding, it raises production efficiency by 30%–50% while effectively cutting material waste and production cost — a clear win in both quality and productivity. For a long time, however, the domestic industry lacked a unified, dedicated technical specification. Equipment selection, process-parameter setting, finished-product acceptance, and on-site safety protection all proceeded without common reference, which severely held back the scaled and standardized adoption of this advanced technology and became a persistent pain point for high-quality industry development.

Full-process coverage ends the "no-standard" dilemma

The upcoming general standard decisively ends that predicament. According to Zou Yujing, Chairman of Wuhan Yucon Laser and head of the standard's compilation group, the standard provides full-process coverage of steel-structure hybrid welding — spanning pre-weld preparation, process execution, finished-product acceptance, and safety protection. It precisely details dedicated process parameters for different steel-structure components and plate thicknesses, with strong adaptability and practicality, enabling direct, standardized implementation of hybrid-welding projects across China.

The standard's high-quality landing rests on solid technological accumulation and massive measured data. The compilation team has worked for years in steel-structure laser smart manufacturing, focusing on four core scenarios — construction, bridges, shipbuilding & offshore, and equipment steel structures. They tackled five key modules: groove design, equipment selection, process-parameter optimization, quality-acceptance systems, and safety-protection specifications, and completed precise calibration of welding parameters for mainstream components such as H-beams and box sections — laying an experimental foundation for the standard's scientific rigor, strictness, and implementability.

Hardcore equipment underpins the technological foundation

Standards empower industrial upgrading; hardcore equipment secures the technological base. As a high-tech enterprise rooted in Ezhou and dedicated to the steel-structure laser smart-manufacturing track, Yucon Laser's self-developed dual-beam laser-arc hybrid welding production line delivers a dual breakthrough in both technology and equipment. The system cuts welding-material consumption by 80%, lifts production efficiency by 50%, and achieves comprehensive operating efficiency 3–4× that of conventional equipment — genuinely helping steel-structure manufacturers reduce cost, raise efficiency, and upgrade quality. To date, more than 500 units (sets) of the company's steel-structure laser processing equipment are in service across China, with delivery volume ranking first in the industry, providing solid equipment support for the standard's rollout.

Continuing to deepen, striving to become an industry "hidden champion"

Industry insiders note that implementing the standard effectively resolves the bottlenecks of inconsistent processes, absent acceptance criteria, and limited technology promotion. It will further standardize domestic equipment selection and construction workflows for steel-structure hybrid welding, accelerate the localization and scaled adoption of advanced welding technology, and drive the traditional steel-structure manufacturing industry toward green, intelligent, and high-end transformation.

Seizing the momentum of this standard's launch, Wuhan Yucon Laser will continue to deepen its core smart-welding track — carrying out standard promotion, training, and continuous iteration of process data and standard content. At the same time, the company will complete its full industry-chain layout and aims to grow within five years into a "hidden champion" in the field of steel-structure automation equipment, helping Hubei's laser smart-manufacturing industry raise quality and efficiency, and steadily advancing China's steel-structure welding technology toward internationally advanced levels.

Source: Hubei Daily Client  |  Editor: Tao Hui