High power diode lasers for industrial applications

Abstract

New wavelengths, high brightness and increasing reliability are breaking new ground for diode lasers. The higher brightness allows direct fibre coupling of several 100 W in 200 µm and 400 µm fibres and therefore the pumping of fibre lasers. Such high power fibre coupled laser diodes combined with fast beam deflection units (Galvo Scanners) have been implemented in industrial processes and used for quasi-simultaneous welding of polymers or selective soldering. But also as customized modules diode lasers offer competitive solutions for example in medical device manufacturing. Available as modules or as turn-key systems, featuring the laser module and all its supply and control units in one 19” rack mountable chassis, such devices become more compact and easy to integrate. New markets like solar modules production benefit from this technology.The usage of conduction cooled laser diodes increases the typical lifetimes significantly. Life tests in pulsed and cw mode show over 16 Mega shots respectively over 14.000 h with minimal degradation. Depending on the operating conditions, such diode lasers have proven to run for several years in production nearly free of maintenance. Besides pumping of solid state lasers high power diode lasers become more and more a competitive tool for many applications in material processing.New wavelengths, high brightness and increasing reliability are breaking new ground for diode lasers. The higher brightness allows direct fibre coupling of several 100 W in 200 µm and 400 µm fibres and therefore the pumping of fibre lasers. Such high power fibre coupled laser diodes combined with fast beam deflection units (Galvo Scanners) have been implemented in industrial processes and used for quasi-simultaneous welding of polymers or selective soldering. But also as customized modules diode lasers offer competitive solutions for example in medical device manufacturing. Available as modules or as turn-key systems, featuring the laser module and all its supply and control units in one 19” rack mountable chassis, such devices become more compact and easy to integrate. New markets like solar modules production benefit from this technology.The usage of conduction cooled laser diodes increases the typical lifetimes significantly. Life tests in pulsed and cw mode show over 16 Mega shots respectively over 14...