Industrial Plastic Processing
Precise composite contours without cutting-tool wear: Futonics thulium fiber lasers deliver tightly focused energy for contact-free processing of suitable GFRP and CFRP components, avoiding mechanical loading by a cutting tool.
Discuss your applicationFiber-reinforced plastics combine a polymer matrix with glass, carbon or other reinforcing fibers and are widely used in lightweight engineering.
Mechanical machining can cause tool wear, fraying, delamination or mechanical stress. Laser cutting provides a contact-free alternative for complex contours and fine geometries.
Fibers and polymer matrices have different absorption and heat-conduction properties. High beam quality and precise focusing help deliver energy locally and reproducibly.
The high power density in the focus supports cutting complex geometries while eliminating mechanical tool wear and reducing component loading.
Fiber-reinforced plastics combine a polymer matrix with reinforcing fibers. GFRP uses glass fibers and CFRP uses carbon fibers; these lightweight composites are used in automotive, aerospace, mechanical-engineering and other structural applications. Thermoplastic and thermoset composites can present different processing requirements.
The fibers and matrix differ in absorption and thermal conduction, so the cutting task cannot be assessed from laser power alone. Material structure, fiber type, matrix and thickness must be considered alongside the contour and required cut-edge quality.
Abrasive reinforcing fibers place heavy loads on mechanical cutters, milling tools and drills. Tool wear and mechanical contact can contribute to fraying, delamination and stress at the cut edge. Laser cutting removes the mechanical cutting-tool contact and supports narrow, reproducible contours through a tightly focused beam.
In collaboration with Durmazlar Makina, we have used our fiber lasers to process composites. The images show the cutting of E-glass; similar materials have also been processed with our laser systems. We evaluate the suitability of further composites based on their fiber and matrix structure and the required cut geometry.
Suitability depends on fiber type, matrix material, laminate structure, component thickness, cutting geometry and process requirements. Futonics supports application evaluation and selection of a suitable laser module.
CW
The 400 W Thulium Fiber Laser from Futonics is a single-mode 2 µm fiber laser system for industrial, medical and scientific applications. It provides up to 400 W continuous output power, fixed emission wavelengths between 1908 nm and 2050 nm, excellent beam quality and reliable long-term operation. The compact 19-inch rackmount housing is designed for integration into demanding laser processing, research and OEM systems.
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