There is a wide spectrum of laser processes, including removal, joining and surface treatment of matter, most of them well known to be productive, precise and last but not least flexible. This flexibility concerns geometry, material and lot size of the laser-manufactured products. However, the application of a laser machine typically is limited to only one type of process. If possible at all, for a change-over from one process, e.g. cutting, to a completely different process like welding within a single machine considerable set-up times are necessary. In practice, different processes are mainly carried out sequentially on different systems. Within these classical process chains a high potential of flexibility and cost savings inherent to lasers remains unutilized hitherto in industrial production. Presently, machines and processing heads are specialized and not yet designed for the flexibility actually available by laser technology.
In order to overcome these limits a multifunctional laser cell for cutting and welding has been realised with its key-component being the so called “combi-head”. It allows quick switching from one process to the other and vice versa in a temporally and spatially optimised, integrated process chain. Thus, a completely new degree of flexibility is achieved in production. New designs and a large number of variants can be produced much more cost effectively by combining cutting and welding capabilities in one tool. Process and tolerance chains are shorter due to minimised material and tool handling within a single machine and due to a combi-head with a process spanning, constant tool centre point (TCP). Technical solutions for metal processing with Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers are presented.