A turbine housing assembly is disclosed, the assembly including a turbine housing defining a rotational axis for a turbine wheel. The assembly further includes a cartridge that is receivable by the turbine housing, the cartridge including spacer posts and a plate component that includes spacer post openings. The spacer posts may be laser beam welded into the spacer post openings to form laser beam welds as well as define an axial vane clearance between the plate component and a surface of the turbine housing. The turbine housing is further contacted by ends of the spacer posts. Each of the laser beam welds includes a power ramp-up area, an intermediate area and a power ramp-down area, where the power ramp-down area curves away from the power ramp-up area to reduce weld defects.