A method for the laser welding of rod conductors (1a, 1b), preferably curved rod conductors (1a, 1b), in particular hairpins for an electric motor or an electric generator, wherein the rod conductors (1a, 1b) consist of a rod conductor material containing aluminum with a content of at least 75 wt.% aluminum, preferably at least 90 wt.% aluminum, wherein two rod conductors (1a, 1b) are arranged partially overlapping and adjacent to one another and are welded to one another by means of a processing laser beam, wherein a welding bead is formed on a common base surface of the adjacent rod conductors (1a, 1b), by means of which the rod conductors (1a, 1b) are connected to one another, in particular wherein the common base surface is oriented horizontally, characterized in that, during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the processing laser beam is guided in such a way that a welding contour of the processing laser beam is positioned relative to the rod conductors (1a, 1b) and a feed rate v of the processing laser beam along the welding contour relative to the rod conductors (1a, 1b) is selected in such a way, - that during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the welding bead has a non-liquid oxide skin, within which liquid rod conductor material accumulates, - wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the non-liquid oxide skin is only partially broken up by the processing laser beam corresponding to the welding contour on a front side of the welding bead which points upwards, - and wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b) the non-liquid oxide skin remains undamaged in a sheath region of the welding bead, which extends away from the upper front side downwards towards the rod conductors (1a, 1b) and around the entire welding bead. wherein the rod conductors (1a, 1b) consist of a rod conductor material containing aluminum with a content of at least 75 wt.% aluminum, preferably at least 90 wt.% aluminum, wherein two rod conductors (1a, 1b) are arranged partially overlapping and adjacent to one another and are welded to one another by means of a processing laser beam, wherein a welding bead is formed on a common base surface of the adjacent rod conductors (1a, 1b), by means of which the rod conductors (1a, 1b) are connected to one another, in particular wherein the common base surface is oriented horizontally, characterized in that, during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the processing laser beam is guided in such a way that a welding contour of the processing laser beam is positioned relative to the rod conductors (1a, 1b) and a feed rate v of the processing laser beam along the welding contour relative to the rod conductors (1a, 1b) is selected in such a way, - that during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the welding bead has a non-liquid oxide skin, within which liquid rod conductor material accumulates, - wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the non-liquid oxide skin is only partially broken up by the processing laser beam corresponding to the welding contour on a front side of the welding bead which points upwards, - and wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b) the non-liquid oxide skin remains undamaged in a sheath region of the welding bead, which extends away from the upper front side downwards towards the rod conductors (1a, 1b) and around the entire welding bead. - that during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the welding bead has a non-liquid oxide skin, within which liquid rod conductor material accumulates, - wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b), the non-liquid oxide skin is only partially broken up by the processing laser beam corresponding to the welding contour on a front side of the welding bead which points upwards, - and wherein during the laser welding of the rod conductors (1a, 1b) the non-liquid oxide skin remains undamaged in a sheath region of the welding bead, which extends away from the upper front side downwards towards the rod conductors (1a, 1b) and around the entire welding bead.