Integrating Fiber Lasers to Improve and Expand Industrial Applications

Fiber lasers have expanded the adoption of lasers as industrial tools for materials processing. Their impact is especially prominent in metal-cutting markets, for which the advantages of speed, wall-plug efficiency, and lower operating costs have more recently been complimented by a move into ultra-high power levels (over 10kW) for processing thicker materials. In this talk, Bryce Samson reviews advances in fiber laser technology for cutting, as well as the growing adoption of the technology for industrial welding. Fiber lasers now enable hand-held laser welding to be a commercially viable alternative to traditional MIG and TIG welding. The adoption of fiber lasers in other emerging applications, such as laser cleaning, is also covered.

About the presenter
Bryce Samson is director of North American sales for IPG Photonics, where he has worked for nearly five years. He has worked in the field of fiber lasers since 1996 and is the co-author of the book, Fiber Lasers: Basics, Technology and Applications (CRC Press, 2016).