Process for cutting a material by means of a laser beam
AssigneeAesculap AG
InventorWalter-Gerhard Wrobel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a process for cutting a material by means of a laser beam, in order to avoid accidental injury to the operator or damage to the material to be cut, it is proposed that there be generated before the exiting point of the laser radiation from a light guide a compact jet of laser-radiation-transmissive liquid immediately adjoining the light guide and this jet be directed at the material to be cut. A device for performing this process is also proposed.
Claims10
Process for cutting a material (14) by means of a laser beam which exits from a light guide (1) and is directed in a non-contacting manner at the material (14) to be cut, characterized in that the laser beam is allowed to exit from an end face (2) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical light guide core (1), the light guide core (1) is surrounded on all sides in the region of the exit by a laser-radiation-transmissive liquid, this liquid is united adjacent to the end face (2) to form a compact jet of liquid (13) abutting on the end face (2) and this compact jet of liquid (13) is directed at the material (14) to be cut, the distance between the end face (2) and the material (14) to be cut being so selected that the jet of liquid (13) remains compact as far as into the region of impingement on the material (14).
Apparatus for cutting a material by means of a laser beam comprising:
- a light guide core for laser radiation having an exiting point at one end thereof;
- and
- means for generating a compact jet of laser-radiation-transmissive liquid immediately adjoining said exiting point and directed at the material to be cut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.