Page 187 - High Power Laser Handbook

156 Diode Lasers High-Power Diode Laser Arrays 157

6
TruDiode 3006: 3 kW
5
HL 3306 D: 3.3 kW
Penetration (mm) 3 Spot diameter: 0.6 mm
Material: Mild steel
4

2

1

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Welding speed (m/min)
Figure 6.22 Comparison of weld depth in mild steel as a function of welding speed
for a 3-kW diode laser and a 3.3-kW lamp-pumped solid-state laser.

approximately every 1,000 operating hours, resulting in operating
costs an order of magnitude higher than those of diode lasers.
At power levels up to 2.3 kW, the size of a diode laser–based system
is comparable to that of conventional welding systems, such as tungsten
inert gas (TIG) or metal inert gas (MIG) welding. Mobility and compact-
ness make the diode laser the number one choice for a variety of metal-
welding applications as a particularly flexible tool in production.

Welding of Plastics
Welding of plastics combines the advantages of noncontact welding
without forming fluff or excess melting with the ability of a measur-
able setting path. Laser welding is also unique in that it allows for
noncontact welding with low thermal and mechanical load; this is
especially advantageous to plastic housings with built-in electronic
components, which may be damaged in conventional procedures,
such as vibration welding or ultrasonic welding. Figure 6.23 shows

Figure 6.23
Remote car key
laser welded.
(Courtesy of
LaserLine)