[ftaylor74]

Hi. I'm completely new at this, so this may well be a stupid question. All of the designs i've seen use mirrors to direct laser output to a final focusing lens that moves above the work piece. It seems to me that a flexible fiber optic cable, terminating at a focusing lens, would be safer, easier to install and maintain, and probable less expensive than the more delicate mirror system. Since mirror systems are so common, I must be missing something. So my question is,what are the disadvantages of fiber optic aiming systems? Thanks in advance.
regards

[Storen]

Very interesting question. My guesses are:

1. Manufacturers prefer to produce universal machines that would support both kind of laser sources - gas tubes and fiber.

2. The fiber cable may not be suitable for dynamic applications as it may wear fast or get damaged and therefore the safety concerns.

[dharmic]

Given that there are a number of pulse laser descaling systems, welders, cutters etc available with hand torches that can only be using fibre to carry the beam from the box to the output, it'll be possible.

There may be issues with some wavelengths not being compatible with fibre, with line losses and the associated heat generation along the fibre as opposed to a clear air path, with fibre termination, with the mechanics of fitting the minimum bend radius into the confines of a machine (ie no e-chains, they're too tight on the bends) and the plain old cost factor associated with engineering around all these issues.

[Storen]

Given that there are a number of pulse laser descaling systems, welders, cutters etc available with hand torches that can only be using fibre to carry the beam from the box to the output, it'll be possible.

There may be issues with some wavelengths not being compatible with fibre, with line losses and the associated heat generation along the fibre as opposed to a clear air path, with fibre termination, with the mechanics of fitting the minimum bend radius into the confines of a machine (ie no e-chains, they're too tight on the bends) and the plain old cost factor associated with engineering around all these issues.

Yes, similar things exist. See this link:
Bodor Laser,you best chooise

That makes me think the wavelength, heat, termination, minimum bend radius won't be the main challenges. The head of a flat-bead machine in scan-mode has to be able to run around with more than 1000mm/s. I don't know if the optic cables could sustain that stress. Maybe they can... I don't know.

[amasters]

ftaylor74,

Many of the laser systems out there are CO2 based lasers because they are relatively inexpensive and powerful. CO2 laser "light" has a dominant frequency of either 9.4 or 10.6 micrometers. It is my understanding that (please correct me if I'm wrong) these frequencies of UV "light" are not compatible with fiber optics as a channel for directing the energy. Either too much energy is lost within the fiber or the fiber itself is degraded. That is why they rely on mirrors. Even the mirrors and lenses have to be specially made and from alternative materials so they are compatible with those specific frequencies.

Other laser sources, though, are compatible with fiber optics and many do use the fiber optics to deliver the laser energy right to the focusing optics at the head.

[underthetire]

Co2 will couple with fiber and simply melt. Yag lasers can be either fixed optics, fiber, or both. Wee have a 200 watt Rofin at work that has fiber and fixed on the same unit. Price is not for the faint of heart, ~225k just for the laser, then you need a base.

Sent from my A3-A20FHD using Tapatalk

[cinematic2]

less expensive than the more delicate mirror system.

Wrong. Much more expensive.

[cinematic2]

Yes, similar things exist. See this link:
Bodor Laser,you best chooise

????????
Do not see anything like fiber optical path for Co2 laser here.

[ftaylor74]

Thanks to all who have responded to my question. I had previously considered some of the objections that were raised, but as usual, anything can be done if one is willing to suck up the costs.(Which I'm not). I guess I thought that by now, optical fibers would have been developed which could contain the laser, and be flexible enough to withstand the the bend cycles that such a cable would encounter in a laser cutter installation. On second thought, mirrors look like the way to go. Thanks again for the inputs!

[cinematic2]

Problem is not fiber but coupler. This is expensive.