Micro-cutting with nanosecond pulsed fiber lasers

Abstract

Nanosecond pulsed fiber lasers have made a significant impact in the material marking arena, but as laser sources they are proving to be extremely versatile finding many applications in a variety of micro-machining processes. One such process is micro-cutting.Until recently high precision micro-cutting has been the domain of DPSS pulsed lasers and CW-M fiber lasers, as epitomised by applications such as electronic stencil and medical stent cutting. However the short high peak power pulses are proving to be ideally suited to cutting a wide range of thin <0.5mm section materials both metals and non metals!Rather than a melt and blow process requiring a fixed optical arrangement and an assist gas nozzle assembly, the process is primarily vaporisation driven, using a scanner based beam delivery arrangement with no cutting gas nozzle, resulting in burr free cutting with minimal heat affected zones.This study looks at the effects of beam quality, laser power and a range of pulse parameters on cutting a variety of materials including both ferrous and non ferrous metals including reflective metals, and a range on non metallic materials. The effects of various optical arrangements such as focusing optics and beam expansions are also reviewed.The pulsed fiber laser offers a flexible low cost cutting alternative to traditional laser cutting systems.Nanosecond pulsed fiber lasers have made a significant impact in the material marking arena, but as laser sources they are proving to be extremely versatile finding many applications in a variety of micro-machining processes. One such process is micro-cutting.Until recently high precision micro-cutting has been the domain of DPSS pulsed lasers and CW-M fiber lasers, as epitomised by applications such as electronic stencil and medical stent cutting. However the short high peak power pulses are proving to be ideally suited to cutting a wide range of thin <0.5mm section materials both metals and non metals!Rather than a melt and blow process requiring a fixed optical arrangement and an assist gas nozzle assembly, the process is primarily vaporisation driven, using a scanner based beam delivery arrangement with no cutting gas nozzle, resulting in burr free cutting with minimal heat affected zones.This study looks at the effects of beam quality, laser power and a range of pulse parameters on cutting a variety ...