Efficiency thanks to Blue Laser Light
The blue diode laser LDMblue revolutionizes the processing of copper, gold, and other highly reflective metals in multiple respects. The direct generation of up to 2 kW cw laser power in the 450 nm wavelength range is unique and avoids the need for complex and inefficient wavelength conversion devices. At the same time, the absorption and, by extension, the process efficiency, is increased by a factor of up to 20, compared to lasers in the 1-micron range. The diode laser’s energy deposition can be precisely controlled, enabling copper to be melted without evaporation, leading to a melt pool that is more stable than ever before. This opens up new application opportunities, such as the heat conduction welding of thin copper foils.
Field-proven System Concept
LDMblue is based on the 19’’ rack design of the LDM product family, which has been well-established in industrial applications for many years. The modular design of the system enables lasers to undergo maintenance and servicing in the field. Pre-defined spare part modules allow central system components to be easily replaced by trained personnel. Alongside the service concept, all the interfaces for control and system integration remain unchanged. The control options also include the fast modulation of the high-power diode laser’s output power with a rise time of less than 150 microseconds (10%-90%).
Scalable Laser Power
Laserline’s characteristic modular system concept facilitates the stagewise scaling of the LDMblue laser’s maximum power. At the same time, the beam quality can be adapted to suit the process requirements by means of different diode stack configurations. This unique technology provides the flexibility, modularity and scalability that is already a hallmark of other Laserline products.
New Application Opportunities
The combination of the 450 nm wavelength with 2,000-Watt cw laser power opens up completely new opportunities for the high-quality processing of highly reflective metals. Moreover, this can be performed almost independently of the condition of the surface. This means that electrical interconnections can be created using a laser, but also brings forth new prospects for improved welding processes in electromobility applications, such as battery interconnection. Thanks to the world’s first system providing up to 2,000 Watt of blue laser power, many more applications are expected in the near future e.g., copper cladding. More information can be found under Nonferrous Metal Welding or Copper Welding.
Welding of Thin Sheets
Tasks that pose a good deal of challenges with conventional joining techniques, such as the welding of thin copper foils and copper sheets to give a perfect cosmetic appearance, are now possible. Furthermore, combinations of dissimilar types of metals, such as copper with aluminum or copper with steel, can be created with copper as the first joining partner, which breaks the convention that copper has to be the bottom joining partner. The heat conduction process that this enables goes hand-in-hand with a high gap bridge ability, which allows novel component designs, such as edge welds or butt joints, to be used in order to increase material efficiency.
