Cutting Of Aluminum With A CW And Repetitively Pulsed CO[sub]2[/sub] Laser System

M. V. Hoesslin; I. Lange; M. Rutha; J. H. Schafer; J. Uhlenbusch; W. Viol

doi:10.1117/12.950579

20 June 1989 Cutting Of Aluminum With A CW And Repetitively Pulsed CO₂ Laser System

M. V. Hoesslin, I. Lange, M. Rutha, J. H. Schafer, J. Uhlenbusch, W. Viol

Proceedings Volume 1031, 7th Intl Symp on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.950579
Event: 7th International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, 1988, Vienna, Austria

Abstract

A DC-discharge CO2 laser oscillator can be alternatively operated under cw conditions or Q-switched by a mechanical chopper wheel. The laser output is fed to a DC-discharged, axially convectively cooled amplifier. After amplification laser pulses of 70 mJ energy, 0.2 μs half width and 250 kW peak power with a repetition rate of 20 kHz and an average power of 1.4 kW with a Gaussian intensity profile are available. Under pure cw operation the cw laser power of the oscillator of 80 W is amplified to 4.2 kW. This laser system is used for material processing like cutting of aluminum and copper. The results of the cutting velocity and quality of the surface of section using either cw or pulsed oscillator-amplifier system are compared. The pulsed laser system allows the treatment of aluminum plates with a higher velocity and a better cutting quality than it is possible with a cw laser at comparable average power. Aluminum plates up to 10 mm thickness can be cut in the pulsed operation mode of the laser with a high quality of the surface of section.

Citation Download Citation

M. V. Hoesslin, I. Lange, M. Rutha, J. H. Schafer, J. Uhlenbusch, and W. Viol "Cutting Of Aluminum With A CW And Repetitively Pulsed CO₂ Laser System", Proc. SPIE 1031, 7th Intl Symp on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, (20 June 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.950579

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