 In recent years , in order to minimize labor costs in high production manufacturing , industrial welding has become increasingly more automated , most notably with the use of robots in resistance spot welding ( especially in the automotive industry ) and in arc welding . In robot welding , mechanized devices both hold the material and perform the weld and at first , spot welding was its most common application , but robotic arc welding increases in popularity as technology advances . Other key areas of research and development include the welding of dissimilar materials ( such as steel and aluminum , for example ) and new welding processes , such as friction stir , magnetic pulse , conductive heat seam , and laser @-@ hybrid welding . Furthermore , progress is desired in making more specialized methods like laser beam welding practical for more applications , such as in the aerospace and automotive industries . Researchers also hope to better understand the often unpredictable properties of welds , especially microstructure , residual stresses , and a weld 's tendency to crack or deform . 
