Versatile cutting and welding using beam optimised high brightness fiber lasers

Typically, most laser workstations are limited to only one type of process such as welding, cutting or marking. However, when processing thinner sheet metals, there are clear advantages to using one laser for multiple applications, including both cutting and welding. In the past fiber laser cutting and welding has been well established for sheet metals with thicknesses below 3 mm, however these processes need different process parameters, requiring very different working spot sizes and separate process gas regimes. A combined workstation becomes very difficult to achieve with a single mode laser output. By tailoring the parameters of the laser to suit both of these processes, we demonstrate that it is possible to produce cutting and welding using the same laser and process head. The scope of cutting and welding possibilities are explored using a variety of sheet metals including stainless steel, and process details such as process speed and edge quality are examined.