Diode lasers in the aerospace industry
Because of the short wavelengths close to the maximum absorption of aluminum, LDF and LDM diode lasers are predestined to be tools for aluminum welding of lightweight components. When applying anti corrosion coatings, laser-based powder cladding is clearly superior to other methods such as thermal spraying: The top-hat beam profile of the diode laser creates a particularly even molten pool, which causes fine-grain, pore-free and crack-free coatings. Post-processing is thus reduced to a minimum.
Newer methods like high-speed powder cladding (and high-speed-cladding) are able to replace galvanic coating processes like hard chromium plating threatened by an EU-wide prohibition.
Additive manufacturing is a comparably young production technique that opens up new possibilities to engineers in prototype construction and the economical production of components with complex inner structures in small batches. Laserline's diode lasers are being used, for instance, in the production of skyrocket components.
