Higher power fiber-­coupled diode lasers enable new application fields

High-Power Fiber Coupled Diode Lasers from Laserline with output powers from 1 to 25 kW are an industrial standard in many welding applications, brazing, cladding, repair welding, hardening and other surface treatments. In recent years Laserline has concentrated on developing a scalable system architecture along a roadmap with projected maximum output powers in excess of 100kW. The present iteration is a 40kW system with a power conversion efficiency of 40%, delivered through a 2mm diameter 0.22 NA optical fiber. This prototype system is based on a turn-key industrial platform, allowing straight-forward integration into almost any industrial application. This and other systems are installed in Laserline’s applications laboratory. They have been used to both, extend known applications benefiting from the higher powers, such as thick-sheet metal welding, and used by interested customers to investigate new laser applications. In some fields, such as additive manufacturing (often also referred to as 3D printing), the emphasis is on accuracy and precision. Other applications, such as laser hardening or laser cladding of large functional areas, benefit from the increased laser spot size while maintaining the same power density. In this case the 40kW laser system enables increased process speeds.