High-power laser sources for industry and their applications

Friedrich Bachmann

doi:10.1117/12.753214

1 August 2007 High-power laser sources for industry and their applications

Friedrich Bachmann

Proceedings Volume 6735, International Conference on Lasers, Applications, and Technologies 2007: High-Power Lasers and Applications; 67350T (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.753214
Event: International Conference on Lasers, Applications, and Technologies '07, 2007, Minsk, Belarus

Abstract

Despite the invention and availability of a wide variety of laser sources, only very few types have made their way into the industrial use, which very often requires reliable three shift running, high uptime and low running costs. Over a long time the CO₂ gas laser has dominated the high power material processing area and still holds with 41.1 % the biggest market share in that field. The most modern, most reliable and most cost efficient type of CO₂ laser is the diffusion cooled slab configuration, which provides almost diffraction limited beam quality and is nowadays available in a power range up to 8 kW. The advantage of solid state lasers is that their radiation can be guided through optical fibers, but they suffered from high cost and low efficiency. The appearance of diode lasers as a very efficient and reliable pumping source, however, has boosted solid state laser technology. Not only the beam quality and efficiency of the classical rod design could be improved by replacing broadband lamps by monochromatic diode lasers but furthermore, because of the high brilliance of the diode lasers, new concepts as the thin disc and the fiber laser could be realized. Especially the higher efficiency, reducing the running cost in conjunction with improved beam quality makes the solid state lasers the tool of the future, whenever 3D applications are under consideration.

Citation Download Citation

Friedrich Bachmann "High-power laser sources for industry and their applications", Proc. SPIE 6735, International Conference on Lasers, Applications, and Technologies 2007: High-Power Lasers and Applications, 67350T (1 August 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.753214

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