Abstract: A method of forming a welded metal product from a workpiece, comprising a sheet and a counterpart to which the sheet is to be welded, consisting in the steps of: providing: a workpiece support having a support surface for a workpiece counterpart, means for: gripping opposite edges of a workpiece sheet at respective opposite edges of the workpiece support, drawing the opposite sheet edges in a direction having a component from a counterpart on the support surface towards the support surface and holding the opposite sheet edges in their drawn position, a robotic device associated with the workpiece support and a laser welding head arranged to be moved by the robotic device in at least two dimensions with respect to the workpiece support, and to maintain a welding gap from a free face of the workpiece sheet on the supported counterpart in accordance with an array welds to be formed in welding together the sheet and the counterpart; placing a workpiece counterpart on the workpiece support; placing a work