Product Code: ICAL07_201

What is the Best Choice for Laser Material Processing- Rod, Disk, Slab or Fiber?
Authors:
Erwin Steiger, Erwin Steiger LaserService; Maisach Germany
Presented at ICALEO 2007

Laser material processing for industrial manufacturing applications is today a widely spread procedure for welding, cutting, marking and micro-machining. With the invent of new and alternative laser sources like the fiber laser discussions have emerged which of the solid-state laser systems - rod, disk, slab or fiber - is the best suited for all the known laser procedures. It will be shown on selected laser processed examples that the laser source itself is often not the decisive part for the final results. Material properties also play an important role, especially when slightly modified to be better adapted to special laser parameters.