Towards robust dynamic beam shaping for laser cutting applications

Dynamic beam shaping brings a large potential for the laser cutting process by increasing the cutting speed and improving the cut edge quality. However, laser beam oscillation is almost exclusively realized with 2-mirror galvanometer scanners that limit the industrial implementation of the technology. Within this work, a new concept platform based on a single-mirror scanning system with a 4 kW fiber laser is tested for cutting of 12 mm thick plates in different materials. Technology knowledge transfer from existing datasets with common 2-mirror scanners has been used to speed up the optimization of the novel system. The proposed solution is able to substitute conventional deflection mirrors and can be easily integrated into the optical beam path of existing industrial machines. This paper introduces the advanced laser cutting process possibilities and experimentally demonstrates the dynamic beam shaping performance compared to the static beam reference system.