Most welding lasers fall into the category of fiber, disc, or direct diode, all of which can be delivered by fiber optic. This article provides a comparison of the energy consumptions and efficiencies of laser beam welding (LBW) with other major welding processes. It discusses the two modes of laser welding: conduction-mode welding and deep-penetration mode welding. The article reviews the factors of process selection and procedure development for laser welding. The factors include power density, interaction time, laser beam power, laser beam diameter, laser beam spatial distribution, absorptivity, traverse speed, laser welding efficiency, and plasma suppression and shielding...