As the main symbol of the development of science and technology in the 20th century and one of the pillars of the modern information society optoelectronics technology, the development of laser technology and laser industry is highly valued by the advanced countries in the world.
Laser processing is the largest foreign laser applications in the project, but also an important means of transformation of traditional industries, mainly kW-class to 10kW-class CO2 lasers and hundred watts to kilowatts YAG laser to achieve a variety of materials, such as cutting, welding, punching, scribing and heat treatment. According to the latest laser market review and forecast in 1997~1998, the world's total laser market sales in 1997 amounted to 3.22 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 14% over 1996, of which 829 million U.S. dollars in material processing, 400 million U.S. dollars in medical applications, and 150 million U.S. dollars in the field of research.In 1998 the total revenues are expected to increase by 19% to reach 3.82 billion U.S. dollars. Material processing, which takes first place, is expected to exceed $1 billion, and medical lasers are the second largest foreign application.
Laser processing applications, CO2 lasers are most widely used for cutting and welding, accounting for 70% and 20% respectively, and less than 10% for surface treatment. While YAG laser applications are dominated by welding, marking (50%) and cutting (15%). In the United States and Europe CO2 lasers accounted for 70 ~ 80%. China's laser processing in the cutting-based 10%, of which more than 98% of CO2 lasers, power in the range of 1.5kW ~ 2kW, and heat treatment-based about 15%, most of which is to carry out laser treatment of automobile engine cylinder liner. The economic and social benefits of this technology are very high, so there are great market prospects.
In the automotive industry, laser processing technology gives full play to its advanced, fast, flexible processing characteristics. Such as in the automotive prototype and small batch production in a large number of three-dimensional laser cutting machine, not only saves the prototype and tooling equipment, but also greatly shorten the production preparation cycle; laser beam in the high hardness materials and complex and curved surfaces to play small holes, fast and does not produce breakage; laser welding in the automotive industry has become a standard process, Toyota, Japan, has been used for the welding of the laser body panels of different thicknesses and different surface coating metal plate welding, will be different. Different surface coating of the metal plate welded together, and then stamping. Although laser heat treatment is not as common as welding and cutting in foreign countries, it is still widely used in the automobile industry, such as the heat treatment of cylinder liners, crankshafts, piston rings, commutators, gears and other parts. In industrially developed countries, laser processing technology and computer numerical control technology and flexible manufacturing technology combined, derived from laser rapid prototyping technology. The technology can not only rapid manufacturing model, but also directly by the metal powder melting, manufacturing metal molds.
In the 80's, YAG lasers in welding, cutting, punching and marking and so on play a bigger and bigger role. It is generally believed that YAG laser cutting can get good cutting quality and high cutting accuracy, but it is limited in cutting speed. With the YAG laser output power and beam quality is improved and was broken. YAG laser has begun to squeeze into the kw-class CO2 laser cutting market. YAG laser is particularly suitable for welding does not allow thermal deformation and welding contamination of micro-devices, such as lithium batteries, pacemakers, hermetically sealed relays, etc. YAG laser perforation has developed into the largest laser processing applications.
Foreign laser perforation is mainly used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, electronic instrumentation, chemical and other industries. Perforation peak power up to 30 ~ 50kw, perforation with the pulse width is more and more narrow, the repetition frequency is more and more high, the laser output parameters of the improvement, to a large extent, to improve the quality of perforation, improve the speed of perforation, but also to expand the scope of application of perforation. The more mature application of laser perforation in China is in the production of artificial diamond and natural diamond drawing dies and the production of watch gemstone bearings. Laser processing technology research and development focus can be summarized as follows:
A new generation of industrial laser research, in a period of technological updating, which is marked by the development of diode-pumped all-solid-state lasers and applications;
Fine laser processing, laser processing applications in the laser processing statistics in the microfabrication in 1996 accounted for only 6% in 1997, doubled to 12%, in 1998 has increased to 20%;
Processing system intelligence, system integration is not only processing itself, but with real-time detection, feedback processing, with the establishment of expert systems, processing system intelligence has become an inevitable development trend.
Laser technology in China after more than 30 years of development, made thousands of scientific and technological achievements, many of which have been used in production practice, laser processing equipment production at an average annual rate of 20% growth for the technological transformation of traditional industries, improve product quality to solve many problems, such as laser hair fiber technology is being promoted by Baosteel, Bengal Steel and other large-scale steel mills will change the automotive coverings in China, the steel plate entirely Dependent on the state of imports, laser marking machine and laser welding machine quality, functionality, price in line with the needs of the domestic market, the market share of more than 90%.
The main problems:
The ability of scientific research results into commodities is poor, and many of the results of market prospects remain in the laboratory prototype stage;
The core component of the laser processing system of the laser's few varieties of backward technology, poor reliability. Foreign not only two-tube pumped all-solid-state lasers have been used in the production process, and two-tube lasers have been applied, while China's diode-pumped all-solid-state lasers are still in the beginning of the research and development stage;
The research on processing technology is less, especially on the research of fine machining technology is even weaker, and the research on the UV-wave laser processing is very little;
Laser processing Reliability, safety, maintainability, supporting poor equipment, difficult to meet the needs of industrial production. When the use of technology is ubiquitous in modern society, a set of *** same characteristics can be used on modern technology. Many authors, such as McGinn (1991) and Winston (2003), have listed the following key characteristics:
Complexity, which refers to the fact that most of today's tools are difficult to understand (i.e., they require a series of prior trainings in their manufacture or use). Some are relatively simple to use, but relatively difficult to understand their origins and manufacturing methods, such as kitchen knives, baseballs, and highly processed foods. Others are difficult to use and understand, such as tractors, televisions, and computers.
Dependence refers to the fact that many modern tools are dependent on other modern tools, and other modern tools are dependent on other modern tools, both in their manufacture and in their use. For example, cars are supported by a huge and complex manufacturing and maintenance industry. Usage also requires a complex system of roads, streets, highways, gas stations, maintenance plants, and waste collection facilities.
Diversity refers to different types and variations of the same tool. Think of the many spoons and scissors that exist today. Even more complex tools often come in many shapes and styles, such as construction cranes or cars.
Popularity, scale, refers to the spread of modern technology. Simply put, technology seems to be around every corner. It dominates modern life. Also, scale refers to the scope of many modern technological programs, such as cell phone networks, the Internet, airplane navigation, communication satellites, and their impact on people on Earth.