Diode lasers for material processing

Diode lasers with output powers of several Watts have been commercially available for only a few years. This kind of beam source is increasingly interesting for industrial applications as well as for medical applications because of high reliability and low prices. Semiconductor laser systems can be applied particularly in fields in which conventional IR-lasers are too large. Two studies carried out by the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. showed potential application possibilities in the field of material treatment. A first study investigated joining and cutting with different plastics and metals using a 25 W-medicine-technical laser. During the tests it turned out that with the output power of semiconductor systems used nowadays, material treatment is possible under industrial conditions. A second study dealt with the use of diode lasers as a pump source for Nd:YAG-lasers. After a high power diode-pumped Nd:YAG-laser had been developed firstly cutting and joining tests were carried out. Excellent results were achieved due to the very good beam quality of the diode-pumped system.