PRODUCT REVIEWS
TRUMPF unveils new lasers
High-tech company TRUMPF unveiled a host of new lasers at the LASER – World of Photonics show in Munich , Germany .
TruMicro USPs
The TruMicro 6000 laser .
The next generation and new lines of TRUMPF ’ s TruMicro ultrashort pulse lasers ( USP ) were launched at the show . The two TruMicro 6000 and TruMicro 2000 product families feature new technology platforms to boost power and enhance versatility . Ultrashort pulsed lasers see frequent use in electronics manufacturing .
“ With the benefit of powerful infrared lasers , we can convert both the TruMicro 2000 and the TruMicro 6000 to green and ultraviolet wavelengths while maintaining high beam quality . This enables us to offer the USP laser best suited to the customer ’ s use case . With 100 watts , the next-generation TruMicro 2000 is the most powerful industrial ultrashort pulse fibre laser . The TruMicro 6000 offers up to 200 watts at pulses in the femtosecond range for even higher performance ,” said Steffen Rübling , the product manager responsible for TRUMPF ’ s TruMicro lasers .
Based on slab technology , the nextgeneration TruMicro 6000 can be deployed in various industries for use cases ranging from cutting to drilling . The active medium , a crystal that amplifies laser light , looks like a tile or slab , hence the name . The laser light travels through the slab , zigzagging between its two end faces . The slab ’ s advantage is that this active medium is very conducive to cooling , which enables high pulse energies at high repetition rates . Ultrashort pulses reduce thermal stress on highly sensitive materials .
The next-generation compact and lightweight TruMicro 2000 has an average power output of up to 100 watts which accelerates the machining process . The fibre-based TruMicro 2000 ’ s parameters ,
such as pulse duration , repetition rate and pulse energy , can be variably adjusted within milliseconds to suit a wide range of use cases . These pulses can serve many purposes , e . g . to cut highly sensitive medical products such as stents , to machine surfaces and to mark a wide variety of materials .
The new lasers may be used with an LLK-U , a fibre optic cable for ultrashort pulse lasers based on hollow-core fibres . This type of cable makes it much easier to apply ultrashort pulses in industrial use cases .
TruDisk lasers for thick sheet
TRUMPF also presented the latest generation of its TruDisk high-power , solidstate lasers at LASER – World of Photonics . The powerful industrial disk lasers deliver a hefty 24 kilowatts of output power . Suitable for cutting , welding and machining surfaces , these new TruDisk lasers are suitable for jobs that require a combination of high-power output and maximum beam quality – for example , to cut thick sheet metal and steel , and to weld thick sheets .
“ With this powerful new TruDisk generation , we are primarily addressing the heavy industry ’ s welding needs ,” said Evangelos Papastathopoulos , the TRUMPF product manager responsible for these new disk lasers . High-power lasers of this sort see frequent use in hybrid applications that combine laser and arc welding .
“ The new TruDisk generation is also great for cutting sheet metal and steel ,” added Papastathopoulos . “ TRUMPF ’ s
TruDisk 23kW laser . TruFiber 2000 P .
BrightLine technology gives customers so much flexibility that they can cut thick and thin materials almost at the touch of a button .”
At the heart of BrightLine technology is a two-in-one laser light cable ( LLK ) with an inner and an outer fibre core patented by TRUMPF . A TruDisk disk laser couples the laser light into the LLK and distributes the laser power to the inner and outer cores using a device known as a wedge switch . This affords the user greater latitude and precision in adjusting laser power and the beam profile to the given sheet ’ s thickness . When cutting and welding , BrightLine distributes the laser beam and its energy on the part to achieve strong results for the given material and thickness . As a cutting tool , it is designed to produce smooth edges . As a welding tool , it reduces spatter and offers a higher-quality seam .
This sixth TruDisk generation also comes with a beam guidance system . It enables users to plug cables into multiple outputs to use the laser light for several systems without compromising power and beam quality . Active Power Control keeps high power output and process stable . With the patented TruDisk resonator and the newly designed LLK-X connector , this laser is also able to machine highly reflective materials without disruptions caused by reflected light .
TruFiber 2000 P
TRUMPF also presented a new 2kW TruFiber 2000 P fibre laser at the LASYS exhibition in Stuttgart , Germany . It is suitable for applications ranging from laser cutting to laser welding and additive manufacturing . Optical laser cable length reaches 10 metres for enhanced flexibility .
The TruControl laser controller provides convenient start-up of the laser , definition and storage of up to 1000 different laser programs as well as all relevant interface buses .
“ The TruFiber 2000 P has an inherent power stability over an eight-hour shift . This can be further improved over the same time using the Automatic Laser Power Control option which eliminates the effects of diode ageing ,” explained Mark Richmond , Product Manager CW Laser , TRUMPF . n
58 | www . ismr . net | ISMR July / August 2022