Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing a laser beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the laser beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed laser beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing a laser beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the laser beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed laser beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.

A laser cutting device (100) is configured to etch an inner surface of a journal bearing (18). The laser cutting device (100) includes a laser (102); a beam directing tool (130) that receives a beam (108) emitted from the laser (102) and selectively changes the direction of travel of the beam (108); a fixture (170) that supports the journal bearing (18) in a desired position relative to the beam directing tool (130); an actuator (148) connected to one of the beam directing tool (130) and the fixture (170), the actuator (148) providing relative movement between the beam directing tool (130) and the fixture (170); and a controller (180) that controls the intensity and duration of the beam (108) emitted from the laser (102); and the actuator (148), whereby material can be removed from a surface of the journal bearing (18) to a precise width and depth, and in any pattern.

A laser cutting device (100) is configured to etch an inner surface of a journal bearing (18). The laser cutting device (100) includes a laser (102); a beam directing tool (130) that receives a beam (108) emitted from the laser (102) and selectively changes the direction of travel of the beam (108); a fixture (170) that supports the journal bearing (18) in a desired position relative to the beam directing tool (130); an actuator (148) connected to one of the beam directing tool (130) and the fixture (170), the actuator (148) providing relative movement between the beam directing tool (130) and the fixture (170); and a controller (180) that controls the intensity and duration of the beam (108) emitted from the laser (102); and the actuator (148), whereby material can be removed from a surface of the journal bearing (18) to a precise width and depth, and in any pattern.

A method for forming an article includes providing a material having a first material property; forming a melt pool by exposing the material to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic, wherein the melt pool has at least one melt pool property determinative of a second material property of the material; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the melt pool property.

A method for forming an article includes: forming a melt pool; exposing the melt pool to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic; forming a keyhole cavity in the melt pool, the keyhole cavity having at least one keyhole cavity property; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the keyhole cavity property.

A method for forming an article includes providing a material having a first material property; forming a melt pool by exposing the material to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic, wherein the melt pool has at least one melt pool property determinative of a second material property of the material; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the melt pool property.

A laser irradiation apparatus includes a stage on which a substrate is provided, a laser irradiation unit which irradiates a laser to the substrate on the stage, an image acquiring unit which acquires an image of a predetermined region of the substrate, and a control unit electrically connected to the laser irradiation unit and the image acquiring unit, where the control unit calculates a brightness value corresponding to an average value of grayscale values of the image provided from the image acquiring unit, compares a calculated brightness value with a reference brightness value, and outputs data on performance of the laser based on a result of comparing the calculated brightness value with the reference brightness value.

A laser irradiation apparatus includes a stage on which a substrate is provided, a laser irradiation unit which irradiates a laser to the substrate on the stage, an image acquiring unit which acquires an image of a predetermined region of the substrate, and a control unit electrically connected to the laser irradiation unit and the image acquiring unit, where the control unit calculates a brightness value corresponding to an average value of grayscale values of the image provided from the image acquiring unit, compares a calculated brightness value with a reference brightness value, and outputs data on performance of the laser based on a result of comparing the calculated brightness value with the reference brightness value.

A system and method may be used to visualize laser energy distributions within one or more laser movements generated by a scanning laser processing head. The system and method determine laser energy distributions at a plurality of locations within the laser movement(s) based at least in part on received laser processing parameters and laser movement parameters. A visual representation of the laser energy distributions may then be displayed to allow the user to visualize and select or define the appropriate pattern and parameters for a laser processing operation. The visualization system and method may be used to predict actual laser energy distributions in a laser processing operation by visualizing the laser energy distributions before the laser processing operation and/or to troubleshoot a laser processing operation by visualizing the laser energy distributions after the laser processing operation.