Hi-Power 808nm

[trwalters001]

Hi All,

I have an opportunity to purchase a 112W, 808nm laser module, complete with all cooling, driver, etc.

The only laser experience I have with IR is CO2, which requires zinc selenide lenses.

What is used to focus 808nm?

I'm wanting to build a CNC cutter out of it...

TIA,

Tim

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=trwalters001;93022]Hi All,

I have an opportunity to purchase a 112W, 808nm laser module, complete with all cooling, driver, etc.

The only laser experience I have with IR is CO2, which requires zinc selenide lenses.

What is used to focus 808nm?

I'm wanting to build a CNC cutter out of it...
END QUOTE

AR coated BK7, Ar coated Quartz, or Ar coated Fused Silica, not hard to find, if your pinching pennies good quality AR coated flint glass will do, is this coming out of a fiber or will it need to be circularized?

If its "needs circularization, you will need a few extra lenses and a cylindrical lens for one axis. Again, readily available. The goal is to expand the beam, clean it up, then focus it. I'm a purist, many folks would tell you a single element 10$ lens is probably enough in most cases. depends on your material thickness and how much kerf and trepaning you want to live with. And you cant know that till you try it.

You can probably find all you need in lenses at Surplus Shed, if your careful. And on a good day the required optics would be maybe 75$ or less, counting shipping, depending on whats in stock.

And with that much power, my imaginary lawyer I can't afford says I need to remind you to spend money on OD6 all angle safety glasses and a safety housing and optics mounts.

And a b/w ccd video camera for visualization.

dispite my usual sarcastic attitude, You have really good odds of making this work! 110 watt CNC would be great if not overkill for a lot of materials.

keep the smoke and crud off the diode with a air jet. (know as assist gas, in the biz) I'd go for it.

trepaning, kerf and assist gas are gogglable.

Steve

[kl79]

I'm just imagine what 112W 808nm can made on 532nm....

[trwalters001]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info!

The reason I know about CO2 is that I built a 100W slow-axial-flow CO2 laser and XY table back in the late 80s. Vacuum fume removal, 6' x 3' XY table, vacuum hold-down, etc. Was using it to cut Plexglas letters for sign companies. I traded the laser many years ago, but it's still available. I could get it back with a phone call. The problem is all the support equipment, size, weight, etc. Thats why I'm thinking about buying this module.

The CO2 @ 10.6u worked great on non-metals. What are the best targets for 808nm?

Tim

[keeperx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAdlXXCp1SQ

[mixedgas]

Huge spot size in that video. 110 watts with air assist would blast through that disk like mad if it were properly focused, and there would be little or no flame.

More like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4n6qz7BBgQ
Which was maybe 10-20 watts.

The little ball of light is vaporized carbon dust heated till it glows.

meet gas assist and autofocus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_e7B...eature=related

More your style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi4dK...eature=related

TR, You do need a good way to set focus, the machine at my last employer had a probe on a microswitch that came down and touched the work. Other machines I've seen had a manual focus rod you stuck between the work and the lens. Both methods work well. Real time Autofocus is not needed for a lot of stuff.

Even a aquarium pump is decent enough for assist on a lot of materials.

Looking forward for pics....




Steve

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=trwalters001;93028]Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info!

The reason I know about CO2 is that I built a 100W slow-axial-flow CO2 laser and XY table back in the late 80s. Vacuum fume removal, 6' x 3' XY table, vacuum hold-down, etc. Was using it to cut Plexglas letters for sign companies. I traded the laser many years ago, but it's still available. I could get it back with a phone call. The problem is all the support equipment, size, weight, etc. Thats why I'm thinking about buying this module.

The CO2 @ 10.6u worked great on non-metals. What are the best targets for 808nm?

non metals, metal engraving, some real thin steel and thin brass is all I've seen diodes do. That is a limited experience based on me not looking for cutting diodes. Diodes are gonna cut by a bit different method then a big co2, not as much ablation. You might get better results with metal if you put a starter coating on the metal like some black paint.

Steve

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=trwalters001;93028]Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info!

The reason I know about CO2 is that I built a 100W slow-axial-flow CO2 laser and XY table back in the late 80s. Vacuum fume removal, 6' x 3' XY table, vacuum hold-down, etc. Was using it to cut Plexglas letters for sign companies. I traded the laser many years ago, but it's still available. I could get it back with a phone call. The problem is all the support equipment, size, weight, etc. Thats why I'm thinking about buying this module.

Co2s have came a long way, ours was 40 watts, and had a refilling plug on top. Refill every 6000 hours, and was the size of a double length metrologic hene.

Steve