Joint Applications Lab for High-Power Direct Diode Lasers

  • DESCRIPTION
     

     Coherent HighLight 8000D HPDL laser with 6-axis Kuka robot

    In October 2011, a Joint Application Lab for High-power Direct Diode Lasers has been established at CLAM as a joined effort among SMU, Coherent, Inc., the Army Research Laboratory and KUKA Robotics. Coherent equipped this Laboratory with its newest HighLight 8000D laser, with output power of 8 kW. This is the most powerful, energy-efficient industrial direct diode laser system currently available with free-space beam delivery. This type of laser is specifically developed to provide industry and research community with a cheap and controllable power source for heat treatment, cladding and welding in conduction mode.
  • CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS
    • Low laser system cost
    • Outstanding system electrical efficiency
      (about 55% wall plug efficiency)
    • Enhanced system thermal efficiency
      (high material absorption (975 nm wavelength),
      low dilution (4-7%), high quench rates)
    • Metallurgical bond with very low porosity and low distortion
    • Mobile and remote laser placement,
      (easy to integrate with a 6-axis robot)
    • Specially designed co-axial cladding nozzle
      with a deposition rate of over 20 lb/hr and
      powder capture efficiency up to 93%
    • Closed-loop control of heat input
    • Variable line beam shapes from 1x3 mm to 1x30 mm
      and with beam width expansion from 1 mm to 12 mm
    • High reliability, diode array MTBF – typically 20,000 hours
      Coating thickness from 0.4 mm (thin layer) to 4 mm (thick layer) at a scanning speed of 18 mm/s and 7 mm/s, respectively
    • Ability to coat wide variety of materials including composite materials