JDSU and Amada demo kW fiber laser in sheet metal cutting system at FABTECH

Milpitas, CA - JDSU has collaborated with Amada, a manufacturer of machine tools for metal fabrication, to develop a new and high-power fiber laser (see photo above) that provides up to 4 kW of output power. The fiber laser has been integrated into a new sheet metal cutting system from Amada called the ENSIS-3015AJ that is being demonstrated at the FABTECH event in Chicago this week.

ENSIS (see photo below) provides the flexibility to cut both thick and thin metals simply by changing the beam configuration electronically, saving time, costs and increasing productivity for metal manufacturers. With previous cutting systems, a condenser lens had to be manually changed in order to adjust the beam configuration to cut different types of metals. This versatility is the result of the advanced fiber laser design co-developed by JDSU and Amada.

According to analyst firm Strategies Unlimited, kilowatt-class fiber lasers are growing rapidly to replace traditional C02 lasers and are projected to represent almost a third of all kilowatt class lasers by 2015. (Similar article: Fiber versus CO2 laser cutting).

Benefits of the product include flexibility to cut both thick and thin metals, optimized performance and enhanced beam quality, and reduced size that requires less power.

"Around-the-clock productivity is extremely important to Amada's metal manufacturing customers," said Mitsuo Okamoto, president and CEO of Amada. "Our newest fiber laser innovation with JDSU provides our customers with a major advantage because the flexibility of ENISIS allows for virtually no down time during the manufacturing process, regardless of what type of metal needs to be cut."

"For more than six years, JDSU and Amada have collaborated to design the industry's most innovative fiber laser solutions," said Tom Waechter, president and CEO of JDSU. "Our combined efforts on this second-generation fiber laser provides a highly differentiated solution and we look forward to continue transforming the fiber laser market with Amada for years to come."

Metal manufacturers use high power fiber laser cutting systems to quickly and efficiently create metal parts that go into a wide variety of products. Examples include cutting thin sheets of metal for automobiles or refrigerators or cutting thick metal for structures such as beams used in construction.

The product can be seen at FABTECH at Amada's booth #S901.