6-kW Nd:YAG laser system for welding applications

Georg Bostanjoglo; Thomas Beck; Kurt Richter

doi:10.1117/12.281071

18 August 1997 6-kW Nd:YAG laser system for welding applications

Georg Bostanjoglo, Thomas Beck, Kurt Richter

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3097, Lasers in Material Processing; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.281071
Event: Lasers and Optics in Manufacturing III, 1997, Munich, Germany

Abstract

High average laser output power was realized by combining the beams of three Nd:YAG lasers of the 2 kW class, each being coupled into an individual 600 micrometers fiber. The end faces are imaged onto a 1 mm fiber, which then transmits 6 kW cw power to the processing station. With this laser system, butt and edge joints with up to 5 mm thick sheets of AlMgSil and AlMgMn4,5 were performed. Velocities of about 3 m/min in combination with filling wire and helium shielding gas yielded satisfying results. The sheets of 1.5 mm thickness were best welded with 8 m/min and a O 1 mm filler wire delivery speed of 5 - 7 m/min. One of the drawbacks of the system is the deterioration of beam quality due to the tilt angle between the incoming beams, so that a 1 mm fiber has to be used. With a modular oscillator-amplifier system with fiber link it should be possible to use fibers with smaller core diameter.

Citation Download Citation

Georg Bostanjoglo, Thomas Beck, and Kurt Richter "6-kW Nd:YAG laser system for welding applications", Proc. SPIE 3097, Lasers in Material Processing, (18 August 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.281071

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