A laser processing head includes parallel plate (17) that shifts an optical axis of a laser beam to be emitted from a top to a bottom of body case (6) from a first optical axis to a second optical axis, parallel plate (19) that shift the optical axis of the laser beam from the second optical axis to a third optical axis, and body case (6) that accommodates holders (7 and 18) that respectively hold parallel plates (17 and 19). The laser processing head further includes a rotation mechanism that rotates holders (7 and 18) around a first rotary axis. Opening (7a) that a laser beam reflected by an incident surface of second parallel plate (19) passes through is formed in holder (7), and light receiving part (6a) that receives the laser beam having passed through opening (7a) is disposed in body case (6).

Provided is a laser device. The laser device according to an embodiment comprises a laser source that provides a laser beam to a process object, a laser deflector that deflects the laser beam supplied from the laser source, an object lens that focuses scattered light of the laser beam that has been incident on the process object and then scattered, an image capture device that captures an image of the scattered light focused in the object lens, and a corrector that corrects a position of the laser beam by using the captured image.

A laser alignment system is used to align an output fiber with a fiber laser, for example, when coupling a feeding fiber to a process fiber using a beam coupler or switch. The alignment system includes a laser alignment apparatus that is coupled at a first end to the output fiber and at a second end to a beam dump/power meter. The alignment apparatus defines a light passage and a light capture chamber along the light passage. When light is not aligned into the core of the output fiber, at least a portion of the light passing out of the output fiber will be captured by the light capture chamber and detected by a photodetector in optical communication with the light capture chamber. By monitoring the readings of the photodetector, the output fiber may be properly aligned with the laser light from the fiber laser.

An additive manufacturing system includes one or more processors configured to determine one or more geometrical characteristics of each of multiple segments of a build part at a candidate position of the build part relative to an additive manufacturing instrument. The one or more geometrical characteristics include an angle of incidence between a beam line extending from an electromagnetic energy source of the additive manufacturing instrument and a surface normal of a respective skin of the corresponding segment proximate to the beam line. The one or more processors are configured to determine, based on one or more geometrical characteristics of the segments at the candidate position, one or more locations of support material to be formed adjacent the build part during a build process of the build part.

A laser alignment system is used to align an output fiber with a fiber laser, for example, when coupling a feeding fiber to a process fiber using a beam coupler or switch. The alignment system includes a laser alignment apparatus that is coupled at a first end to the output fiber and at a second end to a beam dump/power meter. The alignment apparatus defines a light passage and a light capture chamber along the light passage. When light is not aligned into the core of the output fiber, at least a portion of the light passing out of the output fiber will be captured by the light capture chamber and detected by a photodetector in optical communication with the light capture chamber. By monitoring the readings of the photodetector, the output fiber may be properly aligned with the laser light from the fiber laser.

Methods and systems for additive manufacturing are described. In one embodiment, laser energy is emitted from one or more laser energy sources, and a phase of the laser energy emitted by each of the laser energy sources is controlled to at least partially control a position of one or more laser beams directed towards a build surface. In some embodiments an optical phased array (OPA) is used to at least partially control the position and/or shape of the one or more laser beams on the build surface. Additionally, in some embodiments one or more mirror galvanometers and/or a moveable portion of a system may be used in coordination with one or more OPA assemblies.

A purpose of the present invention is to quickly change a focal point of a laser emission system so that processing with high quality and good processing efficiency can be performed. In a laser processing apparatus including: a laser oscillator configured to output a laser pulse; a laser polarizer configured to polarize the laser pulse in a two-dimensional direction; and a controller configured to control the laser oscillator and the laser polarizer, the laser processing apparatus being configured to emit the laser pulse to a workpiece for processing the workpiece, the laser processing apparatus has a feature in which an electrooptic device capable of, under control of the controller, electrically changing a focal point of the laser pulse to be input to the laser polarizer is arranged in an input side of the laser polarizer.

A method and a control device for deflection of a laser beam for laser-based additive manufacturing processes includes first and second orthogonally rotatable mirrors designed to reflect the laser beam and guide the laser beam to an irradiation field. The first mirror and the second mirror are secured on respective first and second shafts, with the first mirror performing a continuous first vibration with a first frequency, and the second mirror performing a continuous second vibration with a second frequency different from the first frequency and/or with a phase difference with respect to the first vibration. Each of the two shafts has a known position such that the first vibration is synchronous with the second vibration. The laser is activated/deactivated upon reaching/leaving an irradiation point. The generated vibrations of the mirrors describe a continuous Lissajous curve.

The invention relates to an apparatus 100 for machining a workpiece with a laser beam 101 coupled into a fluid jet. The apparatus 100 comprises a laser unit 101a for providing the laser beam 101, a nozzle unit 102 with an aperture 102a for producing the fluid jet, and an optical unit 103 configured to provide the laser beam 101 from the laser unit 101a onto the nozzle unit 102. Further, the apparatus 100 comprises a control unit 104 configured to control 108, 110 the optical unit 103 and/or nozzle unit 102 to change a point of incidence 109 of the laser beam 101 on the nozzle unit 102. The apparatus 100 also comprises a sensing unit 105 configured to sense laser light 106 reflected from a surface 102b of the nozzle unit 102 and produce a sensing signal 107 based on the sensed reflected laser light 106. The control unit 104 is particularly configured to evaluate the sensing signal 107 and to determine a defined sensing pattern in the sensing signal 107 indicative of the laser beam 101 being fully and/or partially aligned with the aperture 102a.

An optical device for detecting the drift of a light beam of a laser machining system includes a beam splitter for obtaining a first light beam along a first optical path and a second light beam along a second optical path. The optical device further includes a focal module positioned at least partially along the first optical path to obtain a focused light beam that is directed towards a first light beam matrix detection means positioned in a focusing plane associated with the focal module. The optical device also includes an afocal module positioned at least partially along the second optical path to obtain a collimated light beam that is directed towards a second light beam matrix detection means.