Amada and JDSU Collaborate to Develop New Fiber Laser

JDSU has announced that it has collaborated with the manufacturer of metal fabrication machine tools, Amada, for developing high-power fiber laser.

The new 4 kW high-power fiber laser is incorporated into a novel sheet metal cutting system, which will offer the world’s fastest linear cutting speed. Amada intends to launch the metal cutting system in Japan by May 2011 and to release worldwide subsequently.

The 4kW fiber laser cuts metals such as titanium, brass, and copper, as well as non-metals that are difficult to cut using the conventional CO2 (carbon dioxide) lasers. The combination of the fiber laser and the Amada linear drive system will allow aluminum and stainless steel sheets to be cut at three times faster speed than the CO2 cutting systems.

JDSU’s General Manager and Vice President of Commercial Lasers, Ken Lo, stated that the combination of their telecom-grade fiber laser technology and the expertise of Amada have resulted in the design of a low-cost, efficient fiber laser.