KEYWORDS: Semiconductor lasers, High power diode lasers, Laser systems engineering, Laser applications, High power lasers, Reliability, Manufacturing, Continuous wave operation
High Power Diode Laser Bars serve as the foundation for many high-power laser systems used in manufacturing and research. Efficient heat removal is essential for reducing cost per watt by increasing available output power or extending the effective lifetime of these devices. In this paper we will introduce a novel method for electrically isolated water impingement cooling of high-power diode laser bars operating in the 975nm region. We will present results from 58 emitter diode laser bars operating in the 975nm region with CW output power levels exceeding 500W and a thermal resistivity of less than 0.12 K/W.
This paper presents our latest experimental results of welding and cutting of steel and aluminum using a High Power, High Brightness Direct Diode Laser (DDL) upgraded with a Laser-Integrated Dynamic Beam Shaper (DBS). TeraDiode’s DDLDBS laser system transforms the beam distribution from Gaussian-like to Doughnut shape, and a beam parameter product from 4 to 25mm·mrad and doing so in a continuous, real-time manner with very low latency below 10ms. These capabilities unlock a wide range of processing parameters and an overall improved quality for metal cutting and welding while using simplified processing heads. This capability can be applied to DDL from 500W to 8000W power range.
The recent 1μm-laser cutting market is dominated by fiber and disk lasers due to their excellent beam quality of below 4mm*mrad. Teradiode’s 4kW direct diode laser source achieves similar beam quality while having a different beam shape and shorter wavelengths which are known for higher absorption rates at the inclined front of the cutting keyhole. Research projects, such as the HALO Project, have additionally shown that polarized radiation and beams with shapes different from the typical LG00 lead to improved cut quality for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. [1] Diode laser have the inherent property of not being sensitive to back reflection which brings advantages in cutting high-reflective materials. The II-VI HIGHYAG laser cutting head BIMO-FSC offers the unique feature of machine controlled and continuous adjustment of both the focus diameter and the focus position. This feature is proven to be beneficial for cutting and piercing with high speed and small hole diameters. In addition, the optics are designed for lowest focus shift.
As a leading laser processing head manufacturer, II-VI HIGHYAG qualified its BIMO-FSC MZ (M=magnification, Z=focus position) cutting head for Teradiode’s 4kW direct diode laser source to offer a cutting-edge solution for highpower laser cutting. Combining the magnification ability of the cutting head with this laser source, customers experience strong advantages in cutting metals in broad thickness ranges. Thicknesses up to 25mm mild steel can easily be cut with excellent edge quality.
Furthermore, a new optical setup equivalent to an axicon with a variable axicon angle is demonstrated which generates variable sized ring spots. The setup provides new degrees of freedom to tailor the energy distribution for even higher productivity and quality.
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