LASER MACHINING
Matching the Right Laser to the Right Delivery System Laser Mechanisms Inc. (Novi, MI) designs and manufac-
tures laser beam delivery components and articulated arm systems for every type of laser and industrial application including cutting, welding, drilling, scribing, and surface treat- ment among others processes. At FABTECH, Laser Mecha- nisms will exhibit its newest high-power fi ber-delivered lasers in powers from 6 kW up to 30 kW. “Typical applications for high-power fi ber, disk laser, and direct-diode lasers include cutting machines for fast cutting of thick fl at sheet and high power welding processes,” said Tom Kugler, fi ber systems manager. “We offer both standard products and custom- engineered laser solutions and sell to both system integrators and direct to end users.”
Applications for laser texturing are as diverse as attractive patterns on molded surfaces or functional grips for medical devices.
Laser Mechanisms’ additions to its standard product line include the FiberWeld HR and FiberCut HR lines for welding and cutting. These new products can be incorporated on fl at sheet bed cutters and high-power welding machines in the 6 kW and higher power ranges. “The heads use refl ec- tive optics instead of transmissive lenses, allowing us to run at higher power with a much lower thermal focus shift,” said Kugler. “When a lens is heated by the laser beam, the focal point will shift. It’s manageable, but can cause a problem with any contaminating debris, for example. Our high-power refl ective optics units can easily work with laser powers above 20 kW. The focal shift is generally less than 10% of the focus shift of lenses with speed of the focal shift less than a second.” To design a successful laser delivery system, certain basic information is needed. “For laser cutting, we’ll want to know what type, 2D fl at sheets or 3D cutting, with or without
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robots or fi ve-axis machines. What laser power and type or wavelength, the kind of material, stainless or mild steel, and how thick or thin. Based on the responses we get, we’ll recommend the best fi t, a standard product or a custom solution. Generally, the same laser can cut all those materials. What does change is the type of gas that is used, the power level of the laser, and where we would position the laser focus relative to the surface of the materials. “For high-pressure inert gas cutting, which is generally done with stainless or aluminum, or titanium, we’ll gener- ally run gas pressures over 200 psi [1.38 MPa] and we’ll be pushing focus down into the material. If we’re cutting mild steel, the gas pressure might only be between 7 to 15 psi [1 bar] and we’ll focus in a different place either near the surface or above the surface,” said Kugler. “In the micro area, fi ber lasers are cutting a lot of features that are less than 25-µm kerf widths and very fi ne welding all done with fi ber and disk lasers. Typical applications include lasers for medical devices such as stents and welding very small compo- nents for medical implants, small copper parts for micro electronics, batteries, and fuel cells.” In the automotive industry, robotically delivered laser systems are being used for 3D cutting of HSS, hot stamped boron steels, and those that require laser cutting due to hardness and tough- ness. “We can also easily cut aluminum and our heads are used to cut aluminum vehicle bodies. Welding to 6-mm penetration is typical, but we can go deeper for automotive transmission welds to 10- mm penetration. We also weld fuel injectors and other small medical components where weld penetration might only be 1 mm or a half or 0.1 mm, depending on the size of the part and the strength required,” said Kugler. “For aerospace appli- cations drilling turbine blades and vanes is the most common application, with hole sizes of about 0.4–0.6-mm diam at angles as low as 20° to the surface and up to 20-mm deep.”
Femto Lasers Provide Surface Textures for Medical Devices Surface texture has become an important aspect of
product design for medical devices and molds, according to Gisbert Ledvon, director of business development, GF Machining Solutions (Lincolnshire, IL). “Surface texture not only provides the means to refi ne the physical appearance of an item, but also increases an item’s surface grip qualities. Through surface texturing, manufacturers can create medical
Photo courtesy GF Machining Solutions
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