An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, a dispenser configured to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material onto the platform, at least one light source configured to generate a first light beam and a second light beam, a polygon mirror scanner, an actuator, and a galvo mirror scanner. The polygon mirror scanner is configured to receive the first light beam and reflect the first light beam towards the platform. Rotation of the first polygon mirror causes the light beam to move in a first direction along a path on a layer of feed material on the platform. The actuator is configured to cause the path to move along a second direction at a non-zero angle relative to the first direction. The galvo mirror scanner system is configured to receive the second light beam and reflect the second light beam toward the platform.

A laser beam application unit of a laser processing machine includes a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam, an fθ main lens that focuses and applies the laser beam which has been emitted from the laser oscillator, to a workpiece held on a holding table, a scan unit that is arranged on an optical path between the laser oscillator and the fθ main lens, scans the laser beam, and guides the resulting scanned laser beam to the fθ main lens, and an fθ sub-lens that is arranged on the optical path between the laser oscillator and the scan unit and converts the laser beam from parallel light into diffused light.

A laser beam applying unit in a laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator for emitting a laser beam, a beam condenser for focusing the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator and applying the focused laser beam to a workpiece held on a holding table, and a scanning unit that is disposed on an optical path of the laser beam between the laser oscillator and the beam condenser and that has scanning mirrors for scanning the laser beam and guiding the scanned laser beam toward the beam condenser. The scanning mirrors are housed in a chamber having a first window for allowing the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator to pass therethrough to the scanning mirrors and a second window for allowing the laser beam scanned by the scanning mirrors to pass therethrough to the beam condenser.

A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a first splitting unit that causes a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator to branch into a first optical path and a second optical path, a first beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the first optical path, and a second beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the second optical path. The laser beam irradiation unit further includes a second splitting unit on the first optical path between the first splitting unit and the first beam condenser that splits the laser beam into at least two laser beams, and a laser beam scanning unit on the second optical path between the first splitting unit and the second beam condenser that executes scanning with the laser beam and introduces the laser beam to the second beam condenser.

Methods of separating a glass web include exposing a separation path on the glass web to a laser beam that produces thermal stress along the separation path without damaging the glass web. The methods further include redirecting a portion of the laser beam to create a defect on the separation path while the separation path is under thermal stress produced during the exposing the separation path on the glass web to the laser beam, whereupon the glass web separates along the separation path in response to creating the defect. Apparatus are further provided for separating a glass web with at least one laser beam generator that produces a laser beam to heat a separation path and a mirror configured to reflect an end portion of the laser beam to create a defect at a location of the separation path on the glass web.

Systems, devices, and methods for additive manufacturing are provided that allow for components being manufactured to be assessed during the printing process. As a result, changes to a print plan can be considered, made, and implemented during the printing process. More particularly, in exemplary embodiments, a spectrometer is operated while a component is being printed to measure one or more parameters associated with one or more layers of the component being printed. The measured parameter(s) are then relied upon to determine if any changes are needed to the way printing is occurring, and if such changes are desirable, the system is able to implement such changes during the printing process. By way of non-limiting examples, printed material in one or more layers may be reheated to alter the printed component, such as to remove defects identified by the spectrometer data. A variety of systems, devices, and methods for performing real-time sensing and control of an additive manufacturing process are also provided.

To provide a laser irradiation apparatus which suppresses adhesion of foreign matters to an optical element, a laser irradiation device includes: emission optical systems, which form a beam in which laser light generated by a laser oscillator converges on a predetermined beam spot, and continuously change an irradiation direction or the like of the beam; and a protective member which is arranged between the emission optical system and the beam spot, and protects the emission optical system from foreign matters scattered from an irradiation object side, and the protective member has an aperture through which the beam passes and moves in connection with a change of the irradiation direction or the like of the beam so that the aperture is positioned on a path of the beam.

A method of confirming an optical axis of a laser processing apparatus includes placing an image capturing unit so as to be movable in X-axis directions, removing a second mirror and capturing an image of a laser beam with the image capturing unit for receiving the laser beam reflected by a first mirror, installing the second mirror and capturing an image of the laser beam with the image capturing unit for receiving the laser beam reflected by a third mirror, and determining whether an optical axis of the laser beam reflected by the first mirror and an optical axis of the laser beam reflected by the third mirror exist in one XZ plane or not on the basis of the captured images and a reference line in the captured images.

In a laser processing apparatus for refining magnetic domains of a grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet by setting a laser beam to be focused on the grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet and scanned in a scanning direction, the laser beam focused on the grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet is linearly polarized light, and an angle between a linear polarization direction and the scanning direction is higher than 45° and equal to or lower than 90°.

The invention relates to laser equipment, specifically pulsed scanning lasers used to cut brittle substrates. The authors propose a method and device for forming a stressed edge in the substrate for cleaving of the substrate, to which end a track of cavities is formed through optically induced breakdown in the body of tire material during its irradiation with a focused laser beam with a fixed focal distance during the course of angled scanning of the laser beam, with longitudinal movement along the length of the substrate. The technical result is: improved strength parameters of products and better quality of straight and oblique edges formed during substrate cleaving, absence of chips and microcracks, high rate of formation of the stressed cleaving edge, which implies faster laser cutting.