Real-time in-focus CO2 and fiber laser beam optimization with a twin hexapod operated beam expander and fully automated beam analysis with simultaneous raw and focused beam measurement

Murad Jamalieh; Markus Bohrer

doi:10.1117/12.2507426

27 February 2019 Real-time in-focus CO₂ and fiber laser beam optimization with a twin hexapod operated beam expander and fully automated beam analysis with simultaneous raw and focused beam measurement

Murad Jamalieh, Markus Bohrer

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10911, High-Power Laser Materials Processing: Applications, Diagnostics, and Systems VIII; 109110J (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2507426
Event: SPIE LASE, 2019, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Laser material processing machines ranging from all kind of applications for different materials face imperfections. Problems such as inhomogeneous raw and focused laser beam diameter and beam mode as well as disturbed caustic along the working area (especially of a flatbed machine) exist in most machines that use or do not use beam expanders. Beam expanders are optic assemblies that are used to collimate the naturally divergent laser beam in order to achieve a more or less parallel propagating beam. Commercially available beam expanders which are supposed to play significant role in maintaining close to perfect beam diameter along the working area quite often do not perform as they are expected, mainly because of misalignment and weak design. Parameters such as beam expander distance from laser beam source, dimensions between the optical components of a beam expander, the tilts and shifts of the beam expander optics should be optimized. A 12m extendible laser testing bench equipped with an in-line raw beam profiler, twin hexapod operated beam expander, in-focus caustic beam profiler and a beam dump are used to adjust the mentioned parameters and observe the changes on the distorted beam. A software controlling the motorized bench is used to change the chosen parameters and display the results. The results will yield an optimization of caustic shape through standard calculation of beam parameters. This unique equipment enable us to optimize CO₂ or fiber laser beams used for the aforementioned applications in relatively short times in comparison to a previously hand operated optic adjustments. Improvements and benefits achieved such as close to perfect material cuts along the working area of a machine are evaluated using CLSM/SEM.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Murad Jamalieh and Markus Bohrer "Real-time in-focus CO₂ and fiber laser beam optimization with a twin hexapod operated beam expander and fully automated beam analysis with simultaneous raw and focused beam measurement", Proc. SPIE 10911, High-Power Laser Materials Processing: Applications, Diagnostics, and Systems VIII, 109110J (27 February 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2507426

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