October 28th 2025 - 3pm GMT
In association with
Handheld Laser Safety: Closing welding knowledge gaps
Join our expert panel discussion to learn about how to ensure complete safety when using handheld lasers — and how to overcome knowledge gaps present across welding applications.
Traditional welding companies and individual professionals working in the space face challenges when it comes to maintaining safety with increasingly powerful handheld laser tools.
As laser safety companies continue to develop and evolve their products, end users must properly navigate the market to find the right tools for their needs and applications. Increased guidance around the risks to consider with handheld lasers, and how to mitigate them, remains in high demand - but how can they bring this knowledge in-house?
This online panel discussion will explore the exact barriers and knowledge gaps that welders currently face, what to consider when ensuring safe application of handheld lasers in the long run, and how to put the evolving laser safety market to the best use possible. Attendees will also learn about laser safety market trends to look out for now, and in the future.
Who should attend
This online panel discussion is designed for:
- Laser welders looking to stay abreast of safety obligations
- Photonic application engineers with procurement power and an eye on the laser market
- End users of handheld lasers looking to ensure safety on the ground
- Researchers and academics focused on entering, or currently undergoing projects involving handheld lasers
What you will learn
- The biggest challenges encountered when maintaining safety with increasingly powerful handheld lasers
- How to overcome common knowledge gaps in the laser welding industry
- How welding companies and wider end users of handheld lasers can balance complete safety with shrinking budgets
- The current and future trends facing users of handheld lasers, which will impact safety protocols
Why you should attend
- Gain actionable insights into handheld laser safety
- Learn about how to properly navigate the laser safety tool market, to find the right measures for your applications and environment
- Stay aligned with market and regulatory trends
- Connect with peers and a wider network of experts, via a real-time Q&A feature
Speakers
David LawtonMarket Development Manager at Kentek Corporation EMEA, LATAM, APAC
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David Lawton has been in Laser Safety for over 13 years, joining Kentek in 2021 after spending the previous 9 years with another laser safety solutions provider. He is responsible for all markets and sectors outside the US, Canada, and Mexico.
He has worked and consulted in many product sectors including Science and Research, Industry, and Medical, and can assist with Containment and Controls, Product Classification, and Compliance and Training.
David is very approachable and well-versed in international standards and norms. This allows him to help customers, simplifying the approach to laser safety by giving an overview of the applicable ‘rules’ and how to apply them in a pragmatic way - whilst dispelling some of the ‘smoke and mirrors.
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Rex AlexandrePresident, Principal Engineer at The Handheld Laser Institute
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Rex Alexandre graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Welding Engineering in 2016, and has spent most of his career developing laser welding, cladding, cutting, and additive manufacturing processes for the aerospace industry.
His first introduction to handheld laser welding was in 2020, while working as a Senior Welding Engineer on SpaceX’s Starship program. What started as a personal curiosity and side project quickly grew to be an industry-leading handheld laser welding program used to manufacture the world’s largest and most powerful space launch vehicle.
Rex is passionate about advancing the industrial adoption of handheld laser welding and currently sits on multiple AWS subcommittees in addition to being the President and Principal Engineer of the Handheld Laser Institute.
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David WerbaManager, Product Design Compliance and Senior Electrical Engineer at Miller Electric Mfg
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David A. Werba, Manager of Product Design Compliance and Senior Electrical Engineer of Miller Electric Manufacturing Company (an ITW Welding Products Company), has over 40 years of progressively responsible experience in the Electrical Engineering and Design Compliance areas of three major companies that design and manufacture electronic chemical analysis equipment, electric motor drives, and arc and laser welding equipment.
Additionally, David is an iNARTE Certified Product Safety Engineer and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Product Safety Engineering Society. He is currently the Chair of an array of standards-facing bodies concerning the welding space, including the International Institute of Welding (IIW) Commission VIII, Health, Safety and Environment; the American Welding Society (AWS) Safety and Health Committee; the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC26; and the Electric Welding Committee.
Alongside this, David is also a member of multiple NEMA, European Welding Association (EWA), NFPA and UL committees.
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Join this online panel discussion and learn the key considerations to note around handheld laser safety. Reserve your spot today to stay at the forefront of risk mitigation.
Having trouble registering? For any technical queries, get in touch at webcast@europascience.com.
