NSF Award
9561062
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project combines high-brightness semiconductor diode laser arrays and novel brightness-conserving optics in a hundred-watt to kilowatt laser machining system. The performance of such a system is expected to approximate that of conventional carbon dioxide and YAG-based systems but at a fraction of the cost, size, and power. Laser machining is a rapidly expanding in industrial materials processing, but the size, cost, and efficiency of present systems limit their use. By combining recent order-of-magnitude improvements in diode laser brightness with novel beam-combining concepts, a low-cost architecture could be scaled for various laser cutting, welding, and selective surface treatment applications. The proposed laser machining system is expected to reduce the cost of laser machining and will therefore expand its role throughout the U.S. automotive, aerospace, and metalworking industries. This technology will enhance U.S. competitiveness across the manufacturing sector.
