Progress in cutting and welding of sheet metal assemblies in one machine with the laser combi-head

Flexibility is an often proclaimed property of laser tools and normally adverted to flexibility in geometry, material or lot size during the application of a certain laser process (e.g. cutting or welding). With the laser combi-head, even the processes themselves can flexibly be changed within the manufacturing procedure– in this case between cutting and welding. The gain in flexibility is accompanied by a shortened process chain, a more integrated production facility and higher accuracy of the resulting products at a high cost-effectiveness. Further improvements of the equipment for combined cutting and welding with a multifunctional laser combi-head are described by means of new examples from research projects and latest industrial implementations with CO2 lasers as well as with fiber coupled solid-state lasers.Flexibility is an often proclaimed property of laser tools and normally adverted to flexibility in geometry, material or lot size during the application of a certain laser process (e.g. cutting or welding). With the laser combi-head, even the processes themselves can flexibly be changed within the manufacturing procedure– in this case between cutting and welding. The gain in flexibility is accompanied by a shortened process chain, a more integrated production facility and higher accuracy of the resulting products at a high cost-effectiveness. Further improvements of the equipment for combined cutting and welding with a multifunctional laser combi-head are described by means of new examples from research projects and latest industrial implementations with CO2 lasers as well as with fiber coupled solid-state lasers.