Hypertherm Laser

[jimcolt]

Just wanted to show some of the first cuts that I have done to try out Hypertherms new Fiber Laser. While these small cuts are not real practical...they show the accuracy of a good quality industrial cnc cutting machine equipped with this new laser technology. I am getting this machine ready for live demos at the Fabtech Show in Atlanta in a few weeks. We will be alternately demonstarting an HPR260xd plasma on 3/8" and 1/2" plate as well as demonstrating the 1.5 killowatt laser (max capacity 1/2") on some thinner steel and stainless. These cuts are all done on 16 ga stainless.

The laser has its advantages (accuracy on thinner materials), the plasma has its advantages (speed on theicker materials). It is nice to compare them on the same cnc machine.

Jim

[sanford02]

Amazing. Am I reading that scale correctly, is that little bike only an inch long?

[jimcolt]

It is actually .750" long. We have been using this as a tough sample to cut for years, and this is the smallest it has been cut...to my knowledge. The Fiber Laser, unlike a C02 laser, can be installed on almost any cutting machine that has excellent motion and accuracy...as its laser power is delivered through a fiber optic cable, which can be run through power tracks. It is at a light wavelength that requires eye protection, so these systems will have to be enclosed to prevent a stray reflection from injuring an eye.

Jim

[pyroracing85]

Jim, I can't wait to meet you at the show and see the machine.

Do you have any pictures of the machine? I was told you need to wear special glasses with the fiber laser.
Is this true?

[jimcolt]

The Fiber Laser operates at a light wavelength that can be damaging to the human eye....even with a reflection, if your eye gets hit with a direct shot of the beam. You must use safety precations with this technology....either special glasses must be worn, or the machine has to be in a light tight enclosure. We will have an enlosure around the machine at the show, with viewing windows that are made of the correct safety glass.

Jim

Jim, I can't wait to meet you at the show and see the machine.

Do you have any pictures of the machine? I was told you need to wear special glasses with the fiber laser.
Is this true?

[ss42768]

Jim, I'll be at the show as well, and am looking forward to meeting you, and seeing this machine. The Hypertherm DM that calls on our LWS called me on Monday and was pretty fired up about this unit, see you in Atlanta!

[fire1hawk]

What's the price tag?

[DesertRider33]

Just, WOW!

[pyroracing85]

What's the price tag?

Yea, I would like to know also!

Also, the whole protective laser deal seems pretty dangerous.

I wonder who hypertherm is trying to sell these to.

I was thinking I could switch it out on my cnc plasma and run the laser instead but with this whole dangerous to the eye deal. I am 2nd guessing it now.

[jimcolt]

The price tag for the Fiber Laser will be in the $200k range. It utimately will be used where higher accuracy is required on materials thinner than 1/2". Does a particularly good job on aluminum and stainless, At the light wavelength that this process operates at, it is necessary to have the laser cutting process enclosed in a light tight enclosure to prevent the possibility of reflected light from damaging an optic nerve. At the Fabtech show we will be demonstrating the fiber laser and an HPR260xd high definition plasma on a conventional cnc cutting machine....the machine will be inside an enclosure with specially treated glass panels so you can safely watch the laser operate.

There are thousands of installations worldwide with yAG lasers that operate in the same general wavelength, these systems are used for thin sheet cutting applications often on 6 axis robots. It is not a dangerous process at all if it is installed properly and precautions are taken.

Jim

[pyroracing85]

The price tag for the Fiber Laser will be in the $200k range. It utimately will be used where higher accuracy is required on materials thinner than 1/2". Does a particularly good job on aluminum and stainless, At the light wavelength that this process operates at, it is necessary to have the laser cutting process enclosed in a light tight enclosure to prevent the possibility of reflected light from damaging an optic nerve. At the Fabtech show we will be demonstrating the fiber laser and an HPR260xd high definition plasma on a conventional cnc cutting machine....the machine will be inside an enclosure with specially treated glass panels so you can safely watch the laser operate.

There are thousands of installations worldwide with yAG lasers that operate in the same general wavelength, these systems are used for thin sheet cutting applications often on 6 axis robots. It is not a dangerous process at all if it is installed properly and precautions are taken.

Jim

WEEEW!! 200k.

Okay, that definitely makes it out of range. I was thinking it would be in the 20k-30k for the laser head alone and then the machine.


I will be just "checking" out the laser then and more interested in what your company has for plasmas.

[jimcolt]

Well, the Fiber Laser, equivalent to a 3kW C02 laser is about 1/2 the price of the C02. C02 lasers are the standard laser technology for cutting sheet and plate, until now. Our technology took over 5 years development time, and if you think about it......we are sending enough energy through a Fiber Optic strand the size of a hair, that is up to 150' long, to cut through 1/2" steel.

Jim

[pyroracing85]

Well, the Fiber Laser, equivalent to a 3kW C02 laser is about 1/2 the price of the C02. C02 lasers are the standard laser technology for cutting sheet and plate, until now. Our technology took over 5 years development time, and if you think about it......we are sending enough energy through a Fiber Optic strand the size of a hair, that is up to 150' long, to cut through 1/2" steel.

Jim

I only know the prices cnc machines as in milling centers and that sort of stuff. Honestly, I heard people toss the price of a laser in the area of 500k but I didn't believe them.

I guess I was wrong.

Still,can't wait to see your machine creation at fabtech but again I will be more focused at the plasmas.

[pyroracing85]

Jim, I tried to find you at the fabtech show. I asked one of the company guys and they could not locate you.

Anyway, the fiber laser was VERY cool and AKS makes a nice machine. Maybe a little overkill for the little powermax 85 they were trying to see it with.

[socoj2]

Hey Jim i saw the machine at Fabtech couldnt find you and everyone was busy so i didnt want to distract anyone to hunt ya down.

I want that 5 axis laser... Just wish i could afford it how about a long term on site demo =)

[jimcolt]

Sorry I missed you. I always speak at the conferences at the shows, and I have a lot of meetings. I did get to meet quite a few people that are active on the online user groups.

Jim

[specter]

Wished that I could have made it there this year but I originally planned to drive back to FL and stop on the way. I would have loved to see that new fiber optic laser in operation as well as the new Power Max's. My last FabTech was in Vegas with the intro of the PowerMax 45.