Product Code: ICAL06_1301

Applications Review: Materials Processing with Fiber Lasers under 1KW
Authors:
Vijay Kancharla, IPG Photonics Corporation; Oxford MA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2006

Fiber lasers have been gaining ground rapidly in the recent years for material processing applications. A host of applications currently employed with other laser technologies have shifted focus to this very fast emerging technology. While the technology is being familiarized and accepted in the industry, there is limited data and summary of industrial applications of fiber lasers. In this review, an outline of numerous such applications with ytterbium lasers under 1KW is discussed and case studies are presented. Applications and lasers discussed include single mode Tem00, low order and multimode fiber lasers for micromachining, high speed cutting, Pulsed and CW welding, drilling and some unique applications of Q-switched fiber lasers that address unique markets is also discussed. Process flexibility and advantages of the fiber lasers are also explored.