Method and apparatus for the laser cutting of stainless steel, coated steel, aluminium or aluminium alloys with a bifocal optical component
OwnerChristophe Bertez, Jean Hamy +1inventors
InventorsChristophe Bertez, Jean Hamy, Olivier Matile
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for cutting a workpiece made of stainless steel, coated steel, aluminum or aluminum alloy by the use of a transparent or reflecting optical means for focusing a laser beam and of an assist gas for said laser beam. The optical means is of the multifocus type and is chosen from lenses, mirrors and combinations thereof. The assist gas is oxygen or a nitrogen/oxygen mixture containing at least 90% nitrogen. The method of the invention makes it possible to increase the cutting performance by 40% compared with a conventional laser cutting method.
Claims10
A method of cutting a workpiece made of stainless steel, coated steel, aluminum or aluminum alloy by the use of at least one transparent or reflecting optical means for focusing at least one laser beam and of at least one assist gas for said laser beam, in which the optical means is of the multifocus type and the assist gas is oxygen or an oxygen/nitrogen mixture.
An apparatus for cutting a workpiece made of stainless steel, coated steel, aluminum or aluminum alloy, comprising:
- at least one laser generator for generating at least one laser beam;
- at least one output nozzle through which said laser beam passes;
- at least one transparent or reflecting optical means for focusing said laser beam;
- and
- at least one source of assist gas for said laser beam feeding said output nozzle with assist gas, wherein:
- the optical means is of the multifocus type, and
- the source of assist gas feeds the nozzle with oxygen or with a nitrogen/oxygen mixture, preferably containing at least 90% nitrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.