Application of a high-power diode laser for laser bending

This paper gives an account of the first application of a high-power diode laser system for laser bending of sheet metals. The applied diode laser has an power output of 100 Watt at a wavelength of 810 nm. Sheet metals of AlMg3, St 14 and stainless steel have been investigated. The results show that it is possible to bend sheets with a thickness of up to 2 mm. The paper shows the correlation between the obtained bend angle and the investigated parameters like path feed rate, number of irradiations, sheet material and sheet thickness. An estimate of the range of application of the diode laser for laser bending has been derived from the determined results.