Options
1994
Conference Paper
Titel
Beam characterization for materials processing
Abstract
The present status of laser beam characterization by beam radius quality is reviewed critically under the aspect of applicability in materials processing with lasers. From a detailled analysis of beam propagation and a processing example a set of requirements for beam characterization adapted to materials processing is derived. Apart from beam radius and beam quality parameters additional parameters describing stationary properties like the shape of the beam profile as well as parameters describing the beam fluctuations are shown to be of importance in applications. Possible concepts for the parametrization of the shape of the beam profile are indroduce briefly. The kurtosis parameter is discussed in detail and the requirements outlined above are checked explicitely. Preliminary experimental results confirming the relevance of this parameter in laser welding are presented. The problems which still have to be solved to specify a laser beam for materials processing in a similarly satisfa ctory way as typical for a mechanical tool are outlined and summarized in the conclusion.