Method and apparatus for increasing welding rate for high aspect ratio welds

A method of lasing a filler wire to weld a first workpiece to a second workpiece, the first and second workpieces comprising a first and a second crack-sensitive material respectively, said method comprising:

• positioning a tip of the filler wire above an opening defined by the first and second workpieces, wherein the tip extends over a width of the opening and over a portion of the first workpiece and a portion of the second workpiece, and wherein a diameter of the filler wire exceeds the width of the opening by about ten percent (10%) of the width of the opening;
• preheating the filler wire;
• melting the filler wire by directing a laser beam at the tip of the filler wire;
• and
• advancing the laser beam only once along a length of the opening with the tip of the filler wire being positioned under the laser beam to form a high aspect ratio weld between the first and second workpieces, wherein the high aspect ratio weld has an aspect ratio of at least about two.