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Laser Heads
Frequently Asked Questions
A Laser Processing Head is part of the beam delivery system in many laser machines, such as laser engravers, laser markers, laser cutters, laser welders, etc. Laser heads are the last component in the path of the laser beam from its source to the object being processed. They are used to focus the laser beam onto the workpiece.
Laser Processing Heads typically come in aluminum alloy assemblies and contain a few distinct components including a deflecting mirror, focusing lens and often an input port for air- assist. Many laser heads also include a protective window placed right before the exit nozzle to prevent dust and debris from entering the system.
No, as a short answer, but it really depends on the type of the laser head assembly and the range of machines considered. Simple machine heads might be compatible with both laser engravers and laser cutters, while sophisticated ones might be compatible with only a specific type of a laser machine (e.g. laser welder). Aside from the ability to retrofit into an existing machine, to examine the compatibility, you will also want to consider the input aperture size, the laser wavelength and laser peak powers to ensure that the internal optics can handle and work efficiently with the type of laser radiation that the laser source generates.
Air assist often has dual function. First it ensures that dust and debris generated during laser processing - be it cutting, marking or engraving – is always blown away from the laser head and ensures that they don’t enter into the assembly and contaminate the optics. Second, it acts as a cooling mechanism that prevents excessive heating that could deteriorate the quality of the end product.
The key parameters to consider when selecting the laser processing head are the input aperture size, focal length of the lens, the max laser power, intended laser machine and features such as internal cooling, crash detection, autofocus, camera system, etc.
Did You know?
1 - Browse All Laser Machine Components
2 - See also Laser Scanheads
3 - Laser Scan Heads: Tutorial