The phrase „laser welding price” is entered into search engines by two groups of people. The first is looking for a subcontractor and wants to know how much they will pay for the job. The second has been outsourcing for some time and is beginning to suspect that invoices from the service provider add up to an amount for which they could have bought their own laser welding machine.
This text is primarily for the second group. You won’t find market rates for services in it, because there are no reliable public data, and made-up rates would mislead you. Instead, you will find a description of how service providers build their quotes, the break-even point formula, a numerical example with explicit assumptions, and a list of outsourcing costs that get lost in the accounting.
The only hard figures in the article are net catalog prices of machines and equipment from shop websites, as of October 2026. All other numbers in the calculation example are assumptions that you need to replace with your own.
What’s behind the phrase „laser welding price”
Service providers price laser welding in one of three ways and rarely publish a price list for laser welding services, because every workpiece is different. The billing model says a lot about who bears the risk of inefficiency: you or the subcontractor.
Per hour of workstation operation. The rate includes the operator, machine, shielding gas, and consumables. This is the simplest model for one-off jobs, repairs, and prototypes, but the risk of changeovers, trials, and corrections lies with the client. If you deliver poorly fitted workpieces, you pay for the time to fit them.
Per meter of weld. Found in simple, repetitive joints, for example long linear welds on stainless steel sheets. The rate depends on the material, thickness, welding position, whether wire is needed, and the requirements for the weld face: a weld that is to remain unfinished costs more than one that will be ground anyway.
Per piece. A model for series production. The service provider has already calculated the cycle time, added changeover, risk, and margin, and you get one number. With a stable drawing and high repeatability, this is usually the cheapest option per workpiece, but any design change means a new quote.
Regardless of the pricing model, the same factors increase the quote: aluminum and galvanized steel (according to materials from one laser welder seller, this is the biggest technological challenge in laser welding), thick sections, required quality documentation, short deadlines, and details that need to be prepared first. So behind the phrase „laser welding price” lies a question about the entire process, not just one rate.
How much does your own workstation cost: catalog prices, not estimates
The other side of the account is easier to measure because manufacturers and shops publish catalog prices. Manual laser welders with fiber laser sources (fiber, i.e., a laser where the beam is generated and guided in an optical fiber) in power classes from 1000 to 3000 W cost in one of the Polish online shops (hereinafter: shop A) from PLN 19,500 net for a 1000 W 3-in-1 model to PLN 39,500 net for a 3000 W model intended solely for welding (net catalog prices, as of October 2026). The designation „3-in-1” means welding, cleaning, and cutting with one gun.
In another shop (hereinafter: shop B), air-cooled welders cost PLN 42,900 net for a 2000 W version and PLN 49,900 net for 2500 W (net catalog prices, as of October 2026). A complete price list by power class and equipment can be found in the articlelaser welder — prices by power and equipment.
To the machine you need to add what the workstation should not work without. Safety kits in shop A cost from PLN 3,600 net (cheapest variant) to PLN 7,500 net (most expensive), and fume extractors in shop B PLN 3,950 net (smaller model) and PLN 7,500 net (larger); all as net catalog prices, as of October 2026. Operating costs are added: shielding gas, wire, protective windows for the optics, nozzles, chiller fluid, training, and service. We broke them down in the texthow much does a laser welder cost — full cost breakdown, so we won’t repeat them here.
Laser Welder RBW 1500Roboteus does not have a public price: it is quoted for the process, because the configuration (wire feeder, optics, nozzles, chiller) depends on what and in what quantities you will weld. In the calculation below, you can substitute any catalog price or received quote in its place.
Break-even point formula
The break-even point is the number of hours of welding per year above which your own workstation costs less than outsourcing. To calculate it, you need six quantities.
| Symbol | Meaning | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| I | Investment: machine, safety kit, fume extractor, positioner, accessories | Catalog prices or quote for the process |
| n | Number of years over which you spread the investment | Company policy, lease period |
| S | Annual fixed costs: service, inspections, insurance, floor space | Service offers, own accounting |
| k | Variable cost per hour of work: energy, gas, wire, consumables, operator time | Your own data, machine card |
| s | Effective service rate per hour | Subcontractor invoices divided by time |
| H | Number of hours of laser welding per year | Invoices, drawings, time measurement |
The annual cost of your own workstation is I / n + S + H × k. The annual cost of outsourcing is H × s plus hidden costs discussed below. Both quantities are equal at the threshold:
H* = (I / n + S) / (s − k)
Above H*, your own machine is cheaper; below it, outsourcing is cheaper.
Three conclusions follow from the formula. First, the threshold increases in direct proportion to investment and fixed costs, so a more expensive configuration requires more hours to pay for itself. Second, what matters is the difference between the service rate and your variable cost: the closer these numbers are, the more hours you need. Third, if s is less than or equal to k, your own machine will never pay for itself; this happens when the subcontractor has better equipment and welds the same workpiece several times faster than you.
If you bill per meter or per piece, convert it to hours: estimate how long it would take you to do the same work on your own workstation, and divide the sum of invoices by that time. That will be your effective s.
Calculation example: example assumptions, not market data
The numbers below are not market data. Machine and equipment prices are net catalog prices from shops (as of October 2026); all other values, namely the depreciation period, fixed costs, variable cost, and service rate, were adopted solely to show how the formula works. Replace them with your own.
Let’s assume for example configuration A: a 1500 W 3-in-1 laser welder for PLN 22,000 net (shop A), the cheapest safety kit for PLN 3,600 net (shop A), and a smaller fume extractor for PLN 3,950 net (shop B). Total I = PLN 29,550. Let’s further assume, solely for the purposes of this example, n = 5 years, S = PLN 4,000 per year, k = PLN 60 per hour, and s = PLN 150 per hour.
The annual fixed cost of your own workstation is 29,550 / 5 + 4,000 = PLN 9,910. The difference s − k is PLN 90 per hour. Threshold: H* = 9,910 / 90, or about 110 hours per year. With the example assumption of 50 working weeks, that’s just over 2 hours of laser welding per week.
| Variant (example assumptions) | I [PLN] | I / n + S [PLN/year] | s − k [PLN/h] | Threshold H* [h/year] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: 1500 W 3-in-1 laser welder + cheapest safety kit + smaller fume extractor, s = 150 | 29 550 | 9 910 | 90 | approx. 110 |
| B: 2500 W air-cooled welder + most expensive safety kit + larger fume extractor, s = 150 | 64 900 | 16 980 | 90 | approx. 189 |
| C: like A, but s = 100 | 29 550 | 9 910 | 40 | approx. 248 |
Variant B shows that a more expensive configuration needs significantly more hours. Variant C shows something more important: if the subcontractor is cheap because they weld fast and have good equipment, the threshold moves further away than with a more expensive machine. Before you buy, check not only machine prices, but above all your own s and k.
Hidden costs of outsourcing
A subcontractor’s invoice rarely shows the full cost. When calculating s, add what you incur alongside it.
- Transport and packaging. Workpieces travel both ways, someone packs them, protects them from scratching (with stainless steel with a visible face, this is not a trifle), and unloads them.
- Time and queue. The subcontractor has their own schedule. Your workpieces wait for their available capacity, and your assembly waits for the workpieces. The cost of this time doesn’t appear on any invoice, but it does appear in your customers’ deadlines.
- Quality and responsibility. Who prepares the edges and fit? Who is responsible for burning through thin sheet, oxide deposits on stainless steel, or lack of penetration? If the contract doesn’t specify this, corrections usually come back to you along with the cost of another transport.
- Confidentiality. Drawings, prototypes, and information about what and for whom you produce go to the subcontractor. In some industries, this is a real cost, though difficult to price.
- Coordination. Inquiries, quotes, orders, quality inspection. Someone in your company spends hours on this that would go to production with your own workstation.
For the sake of honest accounting: your own workstation also has costs that aren’t visible in the machine price. The operator must learn to work within a narrow window of laser parameters, the first weeks will bring trials and scrap, and a machine that sits idle costs the same as one that works. These items fit into S and k, but only if you consciously put them there.
When it still makes sense to outsource laser welding
The formula doesn’t always indicate a purchase. There are several situations where outsourcing remains reasonable even with a significant number of hours.
Sporadic, irregular work. If laser welding is needed a few times a year, H is far below the threshold, and an unused machine ages on the floor.
Thick sections.The manual laser welder RBW 1500 welds mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum up to 5 mm; according to one Polish manufacturer, their welder with power up to 2 kW provides full penetration up to 6 mm. Above these thicknesses, a manual laser stops being the right tool and MIG/MAG or automated welding stations come back into play. If your workpieces are thicker, outsource or consider another technology.
Certified structures.Where the customer or regulations require qualified welding procedures (WPQR), welder qualifications, and supervision, your own machine is not enough: you also need process qualification. One manufacturer declares ready WPQR for their welder, but until you have your own documentation, outsource such work to a contractor who has it.
Difficult materials.According to materials from one laser welder seller, aluminum and galvanized steel are the biggest challenge for laser welding. The reasons are physical: reflections from the shiny surface, zinc vaporization, porosity. If this is your main material, before you buy, do trials with the supplier on your own workpieces.
Load peaks. A hybrid solution where your own machine handles steady load and the subcontractor handles peaks can be cheaper than buying capacity for the worst month of the year.
When your own laser welder comes out cheaper
On the other side are situations where the formula indicates a purchase even with conservative assumptions.
Regular hours above the threshold is a basic condition, but not the only one. Your own workstation wins when you weld stainless steel with a visible face, because the small heat input of the laser gives a weld that often doesn’t require grinding, and rework time drops. It wins with service, prototypes, and short deadlines, where response time matters, not rate. It wins when drawings shouldn’t leave the company.
A practical detail: RBW 1500 operates from 230 V single-phase power and weighs 120 kg, so the workstation can be set up where the work is, without rewiring. In the catalog Roboteus laser welders you can check the configuration and request a quote for your process.
Break-even point calculator in 5 steps
- Collect invoices for laser welding from the last year and sum them up. Add transport and estimate the cost of coordination time. That’s your annual outsourcing cost.
- Estimate H. Ask the subcontractor for the working time on your orders or calculate it from weld meters and pieces. Divide the outsourcing cost by H: that’s your effective s.
- Configure investment I. Machine (catalog price or quote for the process), safety kit, fume extractor, positioner, first set of consumables. Adopt n according to company policy or lease period.
- Estimate S and k. Service, chiller inspections, insurance, floor space; energy, gas, wire, protective windows, nozzles, and operator time per hour of work.
- Calculate H* and compare with H. Also do a pessimistic variant: lower s, higher k, shorter n. If H is close to the threshold, don’t decide on paper: ask for a demo on your own workpieces and measure the cycle time.
Frequently asked questions
How much does laser welding cost from a subcontractor?
There’s no public price list: service providers quote per hour, per meter of weld, or per piece, after reviewing the drawing and workpiece. The quote is influenced by material, thickness, fit, requirements for the weld face, and documentation. Ask several contractors for a quote on the same drawing and convert it to hours.
Is laser welding more expensive than TIG or MIG?
According to materials from one laser welder seller, investment in laser welding can be 2–3 times higher than MIG/TIG, but the same seller points to productivity even 10 times higher than TIG. The cost of producing a workpiece depends on the number of hours and rework, not just the machine price. Calculate it using the formula from this article.
From how many hours per year does your own laser welder make sense?
It depends on your investment, fixed costs, and the difference between the service rate and variable cost. In the example with example assumptions, the threshold came out to about 110 hours per year, but with a cheaper subcontractor it shifted to about 248.
Can you have your own laser welder and still outsource?
Yes, and often it’s the most reasonable arrangement. Your own machine handles steady load, stainless steel, and service, while the subcontractor handles thick sections, designs requiring qualified procedures, and seasonal peaks.
Will a manual laser replace the service for thick sheets?
Only up to the thickness declared by the manufacturer: RBW 1500 welds up to 5 mm, and a welder from one Polish manufacturer according to their declaration up to 6 mm at power up to 2 kW. Thicker sections are a job for MIG/MAG or automated welding stations, and outsourcing still makes sense here.
Sources
- https://roboteus.com/pl/maszyny/spawarki-laserowe/spawarka-laserowa-rbw-1500/
- https://roboteus.com/pl/maszyny/spawarki-laserowe/
Editorial note
The net catalog prices given in the text come from shop and manufacturer websites as of October 2026 and may change. The numbers in the calculation example are assumptions illustrating the formula, not market data. Welding parameters depend on the machine, material, and workpiece preparation, and this article does not replace the manufacturer’s instructions or safety regulations for class 4 laser devices.