Methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing are described. A method for additive manufacturing may include exposing a layer of material on a build surface to one or more projections of laser energy including at least one line laser having a substantially linear shape. The intensity of the line laser may be modulated so as to cause fusion of the layer of material according to a desired pattern as the one or more projections of laser energy are scanned across the build surface.

A visible light laser system and operation for welding materials together. A blue laser system that forms essentially perfect welds for copper based materials. A blue laser system and operation for welding conductive elements, and in particular thin conductive elements, together for use in energy storage devices, such as battery packs.

Provided are a variable pulse width flat-top laser device and an operation method therefor. A variable pulse width flat-top laser device includes a light source unit including first and second laser light sources driven at different times to respectively emit pulse-type first and second laser beams, a beam shaping unit configured to shape the first and second laser beams emitted from the light source unit into flat-top laser beams, a combination/split unit located between the light source unit and the beam shaping unit, and including a first beam combination/split unit configured to combine optical paths of the first and second laser beams and split a combined optical path into at least two optical paths so that the split at least two optical paths are directed to different regions of an incident surface of the beam shaping unit, and an imaging optical system configured to time-sequentially overlay the flat-top laser beams shaped by the beam shaping unit on a target object to form an image.

A laser machining apparatus includes an output ratio control unit that changes an output ratio between a first laser beam and a second laser beam having different propagation characteristics; a superimposing optical system that multiplexes the first laser beam and the second laser beam; an optical fiber in which beam propagation characteristics of a combined laser beam at an exit varies depending on the output ratio, the combined laser beam being a laser beam obtained by combination of the first laser beam and the second laser beam; and a condensing optical system that performs machining of a workpiece by concentrating, on the workpiece, the beam emitted from the optical fiber.

A device for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece. The device includes a focusing unit for focusing a machining beam, in particular a laser beam, onto the workpiece for the formation of a kerf on the workpiece. The device also includes an image acquisition unit to generate at least one image of a region of the workpiece, and an evaluation unit configured to determine, based on the at least one image, at least one measured variable for the course of the gap width of the kerf in a thickness direction of the workpiece. The invention also relates to an associated method for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece.

Laser welding methods include focusing laser radiation onto a first metal sheet disposed on a metal part, optionally with one or more intervening metal sheets therebetween. The laser radiation is steered to trace at least one spiral path to spot-weld together the metal parts. The laser radiation includes a center beam and an annular beam to maintain a stable keyhole. One method is tailored to weld aluminum parts, e.g., with high gas content and/or dissimilar compositions, and the laser radiation traces first an outward spiral path and then an inward spiral path. The center beam is pulsed during one segment of the inward spiral path. Another method is tailored to weld steel or copper parts having a coating at an interface therebetween, and the laser radiation traces an inward spiral path. The interface may be a zero-gap interface, or a non-zero gap may exist.

A method for slicing an ingot column is provided, including the following steps: immersing the column into a solution; rotating the column; focusing the rotating column with a focusing device; and using a laser device to cut the rotating column into sliced wafers. The slicing equipment of the present invention has a simple structure, easy operation, small kerf of the column, and fast slicing speed.

Laser apparatus (10) includes at least: a laser oscillator that emits laser light (LB); reflection mirrors (M1), (M2) that are disposed on an optical path of laser light (LB) and change the optical path; actuators (ACT1), (ACT2) that are respectively coupled to reflection mirrors (M1), (M2) and displace reflection mirrors (M1), (M2); optical axis deviation detector (16) that is disposed to surround the optical path of laser light (LB) and detects an optical axis deviation of laser light (LB); and a controller that drives actuators (ACT1), (ACT2) on the basis of a detection result of optical axis deviation detector (16) to displace reflection mirrors (M1), (M2) and correct the optical axis deviation of laser light (LB).

A method for processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour of defect in the transparent workpiece and separating the transparent workpiece along the contour using an infrared laser beam. During separation, the method also includes detecting a position and propagation direction of a crack tip relative to a reference location and propagation direction of an infrared beam spot, determining a detected distance and angular offset between the crack tip and the reference location of the infrared beam spot, comparing the detected distance to a preset distance, comparing the detected angular offset to a preset angular offset, and modifying at least one of a power of the infrared laser beam or a speed of relative translation between the infrared laser beam and the transparent workpiece in response to a difference between the detected distance and the preset distance and between the detected angular offset and the preset angular offset.

Methods, systems, devices, and substrates are described. In some examples, an apparatus may include optical components configured to adjust an input to a laser cutting optic for modifying a substrate (e.g., an optically transmissive substrate). In some examples, the optical components may include a beam deflector, a first optic configured to output a first laser beam with a first beam width, and a second optic configured to output a second laser beam with a second beam width. In some examples, the beam deflector may modify an optical path of a pulsed laser (e.g., through the first optic or through the second optic), which may result in an input to the laser cutting optic having a beam width corresponding to the first optic or the second optic. The different input beam widths may modify a line focus intensity of an output of the laser cutting optic when modifying the substrate.