Factors That Influence CO2 Laser Lens

Posted by schimmerjanice on March 3rd, 2020

In order to direct into a tiny spot entire beam’s power in CO2 laser systems, lenses are used. The reason why a lot of importance is placed on a tiny focused spot is that processes such as heat treating, cutting, and wielding, all require high power density, and power density is the main part of focused spot. If you bring down the diameter of the spot by 50 percent, you will find that the power density increases by 200 percent. As a matter of fact, a lot of jobs have requirement of constrict kerf widths and heat affected zones, something that can be done only through sharply focused beam.

There are certain factors that have a strong bearing on the performance of the CO2 laser lens. Let’s take a look at them.

Lens Diameter - Full spectrum laser with high power need lenses that have bigger diameter. This is required so that thermal overload can be avoided. Lens with larger diameter will produce a smaller focused spot, at any focal length so long as the entering beam is elaborated to occupy the larger lens.

Focal Length - The thing that influences both the depth of focus and the spot size is the focal length. Focal length that are of short size will bring about smaller focused spot as well as depth of focus. Most of the time, a fixed focal length is a sort of adjustment between penetration depth, preferred spot size, and workpiece clearance.

Lens Shapes - The most affordable and easy to use lens shape is the Plano convex. It is employed in cases where getting the tiniest, focused spot is not that essential , or in cases where complex shapes are not that much required. When using these lens, you should make sure that the lens’ flat side is pointed in the direction of workpiece and the convex side aimed at the laser. Meniscus lens contain convex curve on side and concave on the other. With focal lengths that are shorter, meniscus lenses will prove more effective than plano convex lens as they will be able to produce tinier focused spot. But it should be noted that meniscus lenses are rather expensive to make in comparison to plano convex lenses as they contain curves on both the sides. With meniscus lens, you should keep in mind that the concave curve must point toward the workpiece.

There are companies that make different types of lens for laser cutting machines. These lenses are of superior quality and can be bought at affordable prices online.

Author’s Bio: The author is a blogger. This article is about factors that affect CO2 laser lens.