optics.org - News - Water-guided laser gives precise = cuts (July 2004)

news

<< previous= article=20

next article = ;>>=20

Water-guided laser gives precise cuts

15 July 2004

Combining a water jet with a pulsed fiber laser gives a=20 maintenance-free tool for cutting thin sheet metal.

Synova, the Swiss = pioneer of=20 water-jet guided lasers, has teamed up with the fiber laser = specialist IPG Photonics to create = a cutting=20 tool that it says is maintenance-free and makes "exceptional = quality"=20 cuts.

Clean=20 cuts

Clever=20 idea

The main applications of the system are cutting metal stents, = stencils=20 and silicon wafers. Synova says that its system can cut = 50 micron=20 thick silicon at a speed of 200 mm/s and make 25 000 = holes per=20 hour in 50 micron thick stainless steel.

The system, which is now commercially available, couples a beam = from a=20 pulsed fiber laser into a thin (30-60 micron diameter) jet of = water=20 which is directed at the work piece. The approach cools the work = piece and=20 removes debris as its cuts to give a minimal heat-affected zone = and smooth=20 clean edges.

The 1060 nm IPG fiber laser inside the Synova system has = an=20 average power of 100 W and emits pulses between 100 ns = and=20 1 micros in duration at a repetition rate of between 20 and=20 50 kHz.

Until recently Synova was using Nd:YAG lasers as a source but = then=20 realized that fiber lasers may offer some benefits due to their = compact=20 size, and superior beam quality and stability.

"Due to the exceptional beam quality of the fiber laser, = thinner water=20 jets can be used, enabling very accurate, faster cutting," = explained a=20 spokesman from Synova. "But the decisive argument was the = maintenance-free=20 aspect."

Author
Oliver Graydon is editor of Optics.org and Opto & Laser Europe = magazine.=20

NewsAlert Sign=20 up to our FREE news alerting service or, if you are already a=20 subscriber, you can update=20 or unsubscribe=20

links

User=20 comments

Add a = comment

Related Links

Synova=20

IPG=20 Photonics

Related Stories

Fiber laser = research=20 higlights from CLEO 2004 (May 2004)

Blue fiber laser = targets=20 life sciences (October 2003)

Visible fiber = laser sees=20 red (August 2003)

Tel=20 +44 (0)117 929 7481 | Fax +44 (0)117 930 1178 | E-mail info@optics.org
Copyright =A9 IOP Publishing Ltd 1996-2004. All = rights=20 reserved.

	home buyer's guide news employment resources feature articles events new products OLE magazine contact us=20
advanced site search =