Fiber Laser Cutting Machine -How Does it Work?

In recent years, due to the continuous development and progress of fiber laser technology, the energy conversion of optical fiber laser cutting has also become more efficient. This cutting method provides the benefits of other cutting methods that cannot be obtained. Fiber laser cutting can process metal plates faster and cheaper than any other cutting technology, providing unprecedented speed and accuracy for the metal manufacturing industry.
Fiber laser cutting sounds very complicated. But the actual use is not complicated. So how does it work?Continue to read and understand the working principles and more information about the optical fiber laser cutting machine.

Definition of optical fiber laser cutting

Fiber laser cutting uses a solid laser to melt and penetrate metal, thereby achieving precise and efficient cutting. The laser medium of this technology is optical fiber, not a gas or crystal, so the fiber laser is cut. Laser is a concentrated light, and optical fiber is a “active gain medium” that can raise laser to a higher power state.
Fiber laser cutting is a thermal cutting method based on focused high -power laser beams as the main thermal source. The optical fiber laser generator uses high -power optical fiber components to transmit strong light beam. The laser beam focuses on the area, and the material is quickly melted and evaporated. The fiber laser cutting machine can cut most of the different materials of most thickness, depending on the function of the device.

How does the fiber laser generator work?

The key components of the fiber laser cutting machine are optical fiber laser generators, and the laser generator consists of a gain medium, an optical resonance cavity, and a pump source.
The optical resonance cavity consists of two reflectors. It reflects the laser beam back and forth through the gain medium, enlarges the laser energy, and transmits it to the cut head controlled by CNC to drive the cutting head to cut the metal plates with different thicknesses. The following is how each component is used to perform this operation:

Light produces in the laser diode

The laser diode converts electrical energy into photons (or light) and then pumps it into the fiber cable. Therefore, they are also called “pump sources”. To generate light, the diode uses two semiconductors with different charges:

The first to bring positive electricity, which means that it needs extra electricity.
The second with negative power, which means it has an additional electron or free electron.

When the positive charge and negative charge meet, they try to combine them. But to do this, free electronics must be released in the form of photons. When the current flows over a semiconductor, the number of photons increases rapidly. The generated light is pumped into the fiber cable and will be used to produce laser beams.

Pump light is guided in the fiber cable

In nature, light spreads in all directions. To focus on the light in one direction and get laser beams, the fiber cable uses two basic components: optical fiber core and bag layer.

The optical fiber core is the place where light spreads. It is made of quartz glass and is the only part of the cable containing rare earth elements.
The bag layer is a material for wrapping the fiber core. When the light is shot to the bag, it reflects to the fiber core. This happened because the packaging layer provided full reflection.

The internal reflection occurs because the refractive index of the package layer is lower than that of the core. In nature, we often see similar effects, for example, when you observe underwater objects, they will deform. It is precise because when light spreads from air to water, light encounters different refractive indexes and changes direction. This is also applicable to the transmission of light from the core to the bag, but the changes in the direction will reflect.
Without the bag, the light will spread and leave the core in all directions. However, due to the refractive index of the bag layer, light is kept in the fiber core and continues its path.

Light is enlarged in the laser cavity

When the pump light passes through the fiber cable, it finally enters the laser cavity -a small area of the cable, only the light of a specific wavelength. Fiber is “mixed” in this area because it mixes rare earth.
When the particles of doped fiber interacted with light, their electrons rose to higher energy levels. When they return to their basic state, they release energy in the form of photons or light. These phenomena are also called “electronic stimulation” or “electronic relaxation”.
The laser cavity also acts as a resonant, and it is light back and forth between the so-called “optical fiber Prague grille”. This leads to “enlarged radiation light” or laser. In short, this is where the laser beam is formed. There are two types of Prague grille:

The first was used as a mirror to reflect the light to the cavity.
The second one is used as a selective reflector, allowing some light to leave the cavity, but reflecting the remaining light to the cavity

This happens like this: when the photon hits other stimulus particles, these particles also release the photon; because the Prague grille reflects the photon into the cavity, and more pump light is sent to the cavity, the number of indexes is released Photon. Due to this excitement of radiation, a laser is generated.

Laser that generates specific wavelength

The wavelength generated by doping fiber varies according to the doped element of the laser cavity. This is very important because different wavelengths are used for different applications. For example, a wavelength of 1064 nm is generated by mixing fiber laser, which is used for laser marking and laser cleaning.
Different doping elements will produce different wavelengths because specific particles will release specific photons. Therefore, the photons produced in the laser cavity have the same wavelength. This explains why each type of fiber-fiber laser produces a specific wavelength -and only that wavelength.

Laser beam plastic surgery and release

The photon that leaves the resonant cavity forms a beam of a laser beam. Due to the optical guidance characteristics of the fiber, the accuracy of the laser beam is very good (or straight).

To make the laser beam have an ideal shape, the AccTek Laser can choose different components, such as lenses and beams according to the customer’s requirements. The short focusing is more suitable for laser applications (that is, laser carvings and laser texture processing), which facilitates us to focus more energy into one area for more aggressive laser deflation forms.

What is the working principle of an optical fiber laser cutting machine?

In short, an optical fiber laser cutting machine is a laser cutting process using optical laser generator cutting material. It can make accurate and high-quality cutting of various materials. Although the basic principles of optical fiber laser cutting machines are the same as the working principles used in other laser cutting machines, the main difference is how energy is transmitted and focused on the workpiece.
Give a high-focus beam through the fiber laser generator. Then, the laser beam is guided to the cut material by focusing on the lens. The focusing laser beam will generate a small and strong heat source. After the surface of the material is aligned, it can quickly melt and evaporate the material to achieve high-precision cutting.
Other important components of the machine include controlling its software system and components that guide and support the cutting materials. In addition, optical fiber laser cutting machines can be equipped with many different sizes and power cut heads. According to your specific needs and customized laser cutting machines, the expected performance and effect can be achieved.

Summarize

For companies that want to invest in laser cutting or need laser cutting services, understanding the work process of optical fiber laser cutting machines will bring you a lot of help to avoid the wrong way of operating machines, reducing the shutdown time of the shutdown time, and reducing the shutdown time Strive for more time and profits for your business. AccTek Laser has a combination of product portfolio from small to large fiber laser cutting machines, which is suitable for cutting your metal plates and pipes. If you are looking for machines for special applications, AccTek Laser can also be equipped with appropriate components according to customer requirements to achieve customized solutions.

Laser Equipment

Contact information

Get Laser Solutions