PowerPhotonic has confirmed that its new Light Tunnel Generator optics improve the efficiency of high-power, thick sheet metal, laser-cutting equipment by over 40%. The company has made the announcement ahead of the Laser World of Photonics trade show in Munich, 27th to 30th June, where the designer and manufacturer of precision, freeform, wafer-scale optics will be exhibiting on booth B2.236/3.
Dr. Stephen Kidd, Head of Sales and Marketing at PowerPhotonic, said, “PowerPhotonic commissioned independent testing of its Light Tunnel Generator by Fraunhofer IWS Dresden. The tests, using 20mm thick stainless steel, show that the Light Tunnel Generator can bring huge performance and productivity gains for thick sheet metal, laser-cutting equipment. Laser cutting performance matches the best in the industry, in terms of cutting speed and edge roughness, but with a 40% reduction in the laser power needed and a wider process window. This not only reduces the operational costs for fabricators, but also brings huge savings in capital equipment costs. A 6kW laser cutting machine will now perform like a 10kW machine, and the laser cutting head itself can be significantly cheaper. Reducing the lasers’ operating power also means less heat is generated, leading to further savings in equipment and factory cooling systems.
“Cutting speeds, gas pressures and the Light Tunnel Generator focus position were all adjusted to improve laser cutting performance. Ultimately, this allows PowerPhotonic to design and build custom Light Tunnel Generators which deliver a wide range of improvements to laser cutting, using technology which is equally applicable to laser welding and drilling.”