Material processing with super-modulation

Tom Kugler,Mohammed Naeem

doi:10.2351/1.5065760

Tom Kugler, Mohammed Naeem

https://doi.org/10.2351/1.5065760

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Publication Date: Jan 1, 2002

Citations: 6

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Continuous wave (CW) Nd; YAG lasers with beam quality of 25mm-mrad or better that can also super-modulate to peak powers of up to 2 times of their average power ratings have shown to improve material processing. Weld penetration improvements of up to 30%, depth of focus improvements of 40%, and the ability to weld more reflective alloys are just some of the gains made by employing super-modulation in welding. In cutting applications, the ability to cut–off normal can be increased by more than 100% and thickness capability can be increased over 50%. By using super-modulation, the same process can also be done with 25% less average power to save on laser and consumables costs. This type of laser starts to blur the line between the low heat input, precision of true pulsed Nd: YAG lasers and higher heat input, high speed, true CW units.This paper documents the basics of generating super-modulated beams but emphasizes the process improvements in welding and cutting of standard alloys.Continuous wave (CW) Nd; YAG lasers with beam quality of 25mm-mrad or better that can also super-modulate to peak powers of up to 2 times of their average power ratings have shown to improve material processing. Weld penetration improvements of up to 30%, depth of focus improvements of 40%, and the ability to weld more reflective alloys are just some of the gains made by employing super-modulation in welding. In cutting applications, the ability to cut–off normal can be increased by more than 100% and thickness capability can be increased over 50%. By using super-modulation, the same process can also be done with 25% less average power to save on laser and consumables costs. This type of laser starts to blur the line between the low heat input, precision of true pulsed Nd: YAG lasers and higher heat input, high speed, true CW units.This paper documents the basics of generating super-modulated beams but emphasizes the process improvements in welding and cutting of standard alloys.

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