Universal laser 9.3 micron CO2

[Joe Hillmann]

I was just looking at Universals website and I see they now offer CO2 lasers with a 9.3 micron wave length along with the regular 10.6 CO2 and the 1.06 fiber/yag. What can be done with the 9.3 wavelenght that can't be done with the other two or what does it do better than the regular 10.6?

[Gene Howard]

According to the laser tube manufacturer Synrad: "The 9.3µm series is useful for processing materials that are highly absorptive of this wavelength, such as Kapton, PET, and others." Sounds like a bit more of an industrial purpose for specific production materials.

[Ernie Balch]

The 9.3 um wavelength is preferred for circuit board drilling, flex circuits use Kapton as the substrate. High speed drilling machines made by Hitachi use this wavelength to drill several hundred holes per second.

[Dan Hintz]

Can't really add anything beyond what has already been posted... many plastics absorb this frequency better than 10.6, so you get an apparent increase in laser power for the same wattage of cartridge.

[Scott Shepherd]

Seems like an odd system. If you want to use the fiber, you have to pull the laser and put the CO2 cartridge in. Finished with that, pull that and put the fiber back in. Seems like a lot of swapping to be done in the lifespan of the laser.

Seems like other people's have both built into the machine and you can use either without having to swap anything.

I'm sure they have a reason for it, but it looks like a lot of switching to do, over time.

[Dan Hintz]

Steve,

The 9.3um is still a CO2 cartridge... fiber is typically 1um and thereabouts.

EDIT: Oh, I see you're talking about the overall system... yeah, I don't know how it's done. I'm looking into it, though, for the Trotecs...

[Scott Shepherd]

Steve,

The 9.3um is still a CO2 cartridge... fiber is typically 1um and thereabouts.

EDIT: Oh, I see you're talking about the overall system... yeah, I don't know how it's done. I'm looking into it, though, for the Trotecs...

Yeah, they have a video on their site, showing the guy constantly swapping out the tubes, even on the same job. One tube engraved it, then one tube cut it. Seems really odd, but I'd have to see it in person to understand the work flow better.

[matthew knott]

I cant find the Video or any mention of it on www.ulsinc.com !

[Joe Hillmann]

http://www dot ulsinc.com/products/features/multi-wavelength/

It looks like synrad also makes a 10.3 nm co2 cartridge as well but not through universal. I assume it is also for a specialty market.

[matthew knott]

Cheers Joe, found it! That look like a lot of work swapping units over, good chance of dropping one, that would be an expensive day! I'm not a fan of the flexx but it looks to be way better than this method. Some clever physicist needs to develop a pulsed laser with programmable frequency so one laser will do everything! That would be a cool bit of kit

[Matt Turner (physics)]

Some clever physicist needs to develop a pulsed laser with programmable frequency so one laser will do everything! That would be a cool bit of kit

I'll get right on it. You're offering to fund the R&D, right?

[matthew knott]

I'll get right on it. You're offering to fund the R&D, right?

Maybe, but I don't laws of physics, I play by my own rules