Patent ID: 7842900

Claim:
A process for joining a first metal component to a second metal component at a joining region comprising the steps of: projecting a laser beam onto one of the components for providing a melt pool on the joining region; wherein at least one member of the group consisting of the first component and the second component is made of a metal belonging to the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy substrate provided with a metallic coating system, aluminum or aluminum alloy provided with a cladding system; providing a metal filler wire into the melt pool while substantially simultaneously providing a laminar flow of a substantially inert process shielding gas by means of a gas diffuser to the location of the melt pool, wherein the water content of the process shielding gas is at least 50 ppm; directing the process shielding gas flow substantially coaxially around the filler wire; and solidifying the melt pool thereby forming a joint at the joining region.