A b s t r a c t: Today we are involved in the fourth industrial revolution which aims towards autonomous working smart factories operating in smart manufacturing of smart industry. In this paper is discussed about Industry 4.0 and the influence of this new technological revolution in welding engineering. Smart factories are aiming for smart production using humanles and paperless technologies and accordance to that is analyzed the influence on welding engineering. Interconnectivity among welding power sources, software, and manufacturing decision-makers makes possible the integration of Industry 4.0 in welding environment. Working together with the "Internet of Things" and "Industry 4.0" the possibility for implementing sensor technology to provide real-time welding process monitoring and high-quality production has been met.

Hybrid laser arc welding is a relatively new welding process, whereby combining the advantages of two different processes, laser beam welding and gas metal arc welding, represents an excellent substitute for conventional welding processes, but has not yet been sufficiently elaborated and researched. Additional research should be carried out in terms of hybrid welding technologies, this leads to the creation and development of new standards and procedures that would confirm their validity. The mechanical tests that could be destructive and non-destructive are the primary indicator of the quality of the welded joint and the qualification of the welding technology. This paper presents the current procedure for mechanical testing of welded joints performed by hybrid laser arc welding and the design of the test specimens that depends on the type of the testing method and conditions in the relevant application standard. In the final part, general conclusions are drawn regarding the standards covering the welded joint quality performed by hybrid laser welding.

Hybrid laser arc welding is complex process where two heat sources act simultaneously in a common weld pool. The synergy effect of laser beam and electric arc offers several advantages over other individual technological processes, such as: higher welding speed, increased productivity, deeper penetration, better gap bridging ability, stable process, less heat input to the welding material, etc. However, the combination of two heat sources in a single welding process leads to large number of parameters that need to be synchronized and optimized in order to obtain a perfect weld. This paper presents the current state of hybrid laser arc welding in terms of its development, industrial application and scientific research. The introduction part contains a general overview of the hybrid laser arc welding process, its advantages and operating principles, and chronological development. In the second part, welding parameters that directly influence on the hybrid process have been discussed. The third part presents the performance and weld qualities achieved by hybrid welding process in accordance with previous research. In the final part, examples of industrial application and conclusions for further research and development related to hybrid laser arc welding are given.