Laser beam welding (LBW) is an established serial process in manufacturing of parts for aircraft applications which merges the advantages of weight reduction and shortened process time in comparison to conventional riveting techniques. Within this project a system-orientated analysis of the process chain for manufacturing of aircraft structures was done first. To separate the distortions caused directly by laser beam welding from these which were released distortion potentials systematic investigations on the laser beam welding process were done. Within the experiments the influence of weld flank angle, the volume of filler wire, the sheet thickness, the clamping as well as the welding order on the distortion were investigated. Results of metallographic investigations and temperature measurement are used to derivate distortion mechanisms. Within the experimental investigations of LBW aluminium stringer and sheet the influencing welding parameters on the longitudinal and angular distortion were determined. The fact that the sheet thickness, the seam angle and the volume of filler wire influence the longitudinal distortion allows the conclusion that the longitudinal distortion is influenced by the geometry as well as by thermal conditions during welding. Within these results it can be derived, that the longitudinal distortion can be minimised by reducing the volume of melting pool or shorten the length of lever (e. g. by thinner sheets). Both reduce the resulting bending moment. The experimental results of the angular distortion suggest that the shrinkage of the weld plays a minor role. This can be derived from the fact, that the volume of filler wire does not influence the angular distortion. From the impact of the seam angle Coining position) on the angular distortion it can be concluded that a higher seam angle leads to increasing thermal inhomogeneities in the weld [Ritt99]. Based on this result the angular distortion of thin sheets can be minimised by a higher seam angle, what is contradictory to the approach of minimisation of the longitudinal distortion. Therefore the distortion during welding can not be minimised only by an optimisation of welding parameters. Furthermore additional compensation strategies (e. g. by additional equipment) have to be integrated into the process.