Russia exploits most powerful laser device for cutting of sheet materials

On Tuesday the Novosibirsk Plant of Chemical Concentrates (West Siberia) launched an industrial exploitation of Russia's most powerful automated laser technological complex /ALTK/ with 5 kW output power. The complex was designed in the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics /ITPM/ of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian branch.

The complex was designed for the cutting of the sheet materials in thickness not exceeding 20mm and 3x6 metres in the size, the ITPM Deputy Director, Head of the project Anatoly Orishich said. The ALTK regimes for welding, hardening and surface quenching of the materials have also been determined.

According to Orishich, there are not many devices of this kind in the world. The high output power of the hyperboloid enables it to cut through thick materials, to increase the speed of spacing, which testifies to the outstanding possibilities of the complex.

Many manufacturers produce lasers with output power of less than 3kW. With a higher output power of the laser the quality of the beam decreases, as well as its technological abilities. Speaking about the ITPM project, the laser device has a so-called built-in resonator, which makes it possible to increase the power of the laser with the definite quality of the beam.

The Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics is already testing lasers with output power of 6.5kW, and plans to design new lasers with output power of 10 and 20 kW.