Laser Division. Fiber Lasers for Industrial Applications

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1 Laser Division Fiber Lasers for Industrial Applications

2 Industrial Fiber Lasers for Next Generation Materials Processing GSI Lasers has been developing and manufacturing industrial lasers for more than 30 years and has a strong tradition of bringing to market products that are rugged, easy to integrate and optimised for industrial applications. Its latest product line is the JK FL range of Fiber Lasers, designed to meet the customers expectations and to give the industrial laser user the optimum solutions to their processes. Fiber Laser Features Fiber Lasers offer a new and exciting complementary technology to the world of industrial lasers. Unlike a conventional laser which is constructed from free space components such as mirrors, rods and lenses, a fiber laser is an all-bulk material device. The laser rod is effectively substituted by a length of doped active fiber several metres long. The remaining components are also all-fiber devices, each of which are spliced together to form a laser resonator. An immediate advantage is that there is no need for alignment, adjustment or subsequent cleaning of optical surfaces once the laser has been built; this means little or no maintenance requirement. Fiber Laser beam profile on exit from 5m delivery fiber at 200W power The Fiber Laser is, in fact, a form of diode pumped laser which makes use of multiple telecoms-derived high reliability pump diodes which are combined together to excite the device. These passively cooled devices have extremely high reliability (>300,000 hours MTTF) and long operating lifetimes which lead to lasers with 100,000 hours MTBF for a complete system. As the light is intrinsically guided by the fiber, so the beam quality of the laser is ultimately defined by the fiber itself. This leads to near diffraction limited beam qualities at powers much higher than would normally be possible with conventional lasers, which can give significant processing advantages. Additionally, the combination of diode pumping and high conversion efficiency leads to wall plug efficiencies of 25%. This allows for the potential of air cooling at moderate powers and effectively leads to significantly smaller package sizes than are possible with conventional lamp or diode pumped lasers. Fiber Laser Key Benefits: z High Beam Quality - constant at all powers z Compact size, small footprint z Economic operating cost z Stable operating power z Very low maintenance z Long product lifetime z Reduced heat load

3 The JK Fiber Laser difference Ultimately the laser source itself can only be used successfully if the delivery to the workpiece is optimised and the human interface is easy to use and capable of providing the functionality the user requires. Not all Fiber Lasers are the same in these respects, and the JK Fiber Laser has the long heritage of the JK brand in applying precision laser beams to industrial applications. Process Tools The JK Fiber Laser comes complete with a range of processing tools designed specifically for precise cutting and welding applications using diffraction limited beams. The optical delivery train is highly ruggedised and designed to ensure long term maintenance free operation in demanding applications. Options include: z Welding and Cutting heads z Range of available focused spot sizes and working distance z Fine laser focus adjustment on Cutting Head z Integral co-axial processing gas delivery feed eliminates gas tubing in the working zone z CCTV viewing with right-angle housing z Co-axial through the lens illumination z Adjustable air knife providing high velocity airflow across the cover glass to deflect welding spatter and extend life Advantages include: z Diffraction limited optical performance z Easy access to cover slide requiring no realignment, increasing system productivity z Easy focus lens replacement z Easy nozzle replacement z High laser damage threshold Scanner Options The near diffraction limited beams of the JK Fiber Lasers make scan head delivery an ideal option for many applications. Features: z High dynamic performance and processing speeds using the latest Lightning Digital Scanner Technology from GSI, unsurpassed in beam speed and accuracy z The Lightning low-noise digital servo driver is based on 16- bit digital technology and achieves 50% higher bandwidth than analogue drivers to give dramatically improved speed and accuracy z Digital control electronics enables scanner dynamics to be tuned to specific applications z Delivers aberration free diffraction limited laser performance Back-reflection protection Inherent in the design of the JK Fiber Laser is our patented back reflection (BR) protection system. Previously Fiber Lasers have suffered either from damage due to back reflection or have had to use an expensive Faraday rotator optical isolator with its inherent disadvantages. The JK Luminator fiber delivery system is a unique patented design that offers the best available protection against back reflection. This well proven technology is the basis for the improved fiber termination used in all JK Fiber Lasers. The single mode fiber, a beam expanding end cap and Luminator type angled capillary are fused into a single robust optical element. Key Benefits are: z Beam expansion within glass to give lower power density at exit, with no loss of beam quality z Eliminates damaging feedback to the laser z Unbeatable levels of back reflection protection Ease of Integration To further improve usability the JK Fiber Laser range has been designed with machine builders in mind. The control system includes Category 3 level safety interfacing, with all key interlocks dual channel and cross-checked, making machine safety compliance straightforward. The units are also CE and CDRH safety compliant.

4 FiberView TM for the Ultimate Laser Control FiberView The JK FiberView graphical user interface (GUI) provides a comprehensive range of software tools and features for both getting the most out of the Fiber Laser and for interfacing to other Windows applications. FiberView is part of the FiberStudio suite of software components designed to enable easy integration into customer applications. The FiberView GUI application offers the following benefits: z Easy programming of laser parameter sets/pulse shaping z Process cycles allowing different laser parameters to be used in sequence z Integrated process vision - no need for separate screens z Process monitoring z Laser metrics monitoring (diode temperature history etc) z Pulse stability data collection and monitoring z Data logging of all alarms/events/warnings z Diode life monitoring All of these functions can be accessed via a serial interface. A digital machine control interface is available for use with a programmable logic controller system. A simulation mode is also available for operator training, viewing of laser history or process preparation. FiberView is part of the FiberStudio A suite of software components designed to enable easy integration into customer applications. Also included are: z FiberServer data server components z FiberComms communication DLL s z FiberNet - Multiple fiber lasers may be connected to the data server which in turn may be connected to multiple instances of FiberView, COM enabled third party applications or the users own software application. Flexible Pulse Shaping FiberView allows graphical programming of any arbitary pulse shape, which is faithfully reproduced by the laser output. The lower diagram is the laser output recorded when under pulse shape control.

5 Leading Edge Applications Processing Leading Edge Applications Processing The JK Fiber Lasers open up a new range of applications not previously possible with the lamp pumped JK lasers, as well as improving on the quality of processing in other applications. The very good beam quality of the JK Fiber Laser output, along with its stable output power in the short and long terms, are key to attaining these enhanced processing performances. Coupled with GSI s experience in determining the correct processing parameters in a given situation, and the range of optimised process tools, means the JK Fiber Laser is often the processing tool of choice for micromachining applications. Microwelding High quality laser microwelding requires an exceptionally stable output power, high beam quality and small spot size, to reduce heat input and distortion of parts. Material parameters such as thermal diffusivity, surface reflectivity and melting point critically affect the final weld quality. Medical instrumentation, medical implants and components for the electronics industry often use 304-type stainless steel, with wall thicknesses of 0.1mm to a few mm and a weld seam width of a few microns. The quality of such welds is very tightly specified, making the weld process for thin materials difficult: too much power can result in excessive penetration - leading to weak points and perforation, too little power leads to weak weld strength. Fiber lasers with up to 400W average power can produce welds in these metals with the desired quality, with smooth weld seams free of both debris and voids. Microcutting The quality of laser cutting is strongly dependent on several parameters with depth of focus and power stability being key. Cut speed depends on laser power and the material parameters. For thin-walled materials, an inconsistent laser output gives an unstable cutting regime, causing debris to be observed on the underside of the cut. The good beam quality, stable beam profile and inherent laser power stability of the fiber laser, make it an ideal choice for microcutting applications. For thin sheet materials the processing throughput will often be limited by the work handling system due to the very high straight line cutting speeds using the JK Fiber Laser. In thicker materials cutting with a JK Fiber Laser leads to an excellent edge quality with very low heat affected zone and little, or no, dross, thus requiring minimal post processing. JK Lamp Pumped Laser vs. JK Fiber Laser? The JK Fiber Laser range is designed to complement the traditional lamp pumped pulsed and CW JK laser products. The pulsed JK lasers are able to deliver multi-joule, millisecond, kilowatt pulses used for deep penetration welding and drilling. For high speed welding applications the SuperModulation option of the JK CW lasers can offer processing advantages. Only JK Lasers can offer you the optimal choice of laser type for your application.

6 In-Depth Applications Support GSI Lasers relationship with its customers is based on more than just the specifications of its products. It can develop the best process for your application and help you get the most out of your laser. The relationship starts at the earliest stages of a new project and continues thoughout the life of the equipment. Our state-of-the-art applications laboratories in Rugby and Suzhou are equipped with the very latest in work handling allowing us to demonstrate processing performance to a production level standard. Facilities also include a comprehensive metalurgical test capability where material processing performance can be scientifically analysed and demonstrated. Contact GSI Lasers now to take full advantage of decades of laser welding, cutting and drilling experience. Australia: Raymax Applications Pty Ltd PO Box 958, 1/303 Barrenjoey Road Newport Beach NSW 2106, Australia Tel: Fax: sales@raymax.com.au For more information Product Center: GSI Lasers Cosford Lane Swift Valley Rugby CV21 1QN United Kingdom Tel: + 44 (0) Fax: + 44 (0) sales.laserdivision@gsig.com Americas: GSI Lasers 125 Middlesex Turnpike Bedford MA USA Tel: Fax: na.sales.laserdivision@gsig.com China: GSI Precision Technologies (Suzhou) Building 8, Gangtian Industrial Square, Gangtian Road South, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu, China Tel: Fax: cn.sales.laserdivision@gsig.com