Precise laser cutting and drilling at aspect ratios of up to 1:100
Machining of brittle-hard materials of thicknesses up to 20 mm
Intuitive and user-friendly software for generation of CAM-paths
RDX1000 LWJ: Machine for Waterjet-guided laser Cutting
Water-jet guided laser cutting (LWJ) is a special type of laser cutting technology especially useful for materials which are difficult to machine and use-cases in which a precise laser cut is needed while minimizing heat input. A key advantage of waterjet-guided laser cutting is the high achievable aspect ratio of up to 1:100. The aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and depth of the cutting kerf.
Our machines of the type RDX1000 LWJ utilise the patented MicroJet® technology by Synova S.A.
The RDX1000 LWJ combines a modern and user-friendly machine control interface with high-performance laser-cutting optics. The machine is equipped with two processing stations: one for waterjet-guided machining and one for dry laser machining.
The machine is targeted at demanding users in the field of industrial component and small-series manufacturing which demand high flexibility from their machining technology.
The Technology
The waterjet-guided laser machining technology is based on a special processing head which initially creates a thin waterjet of around 100 µm diameter through a nozzle, comparable to waterjet-cutting. High pressure creates a laminar flow, which allows the waterjet to propagate for several centimeters without a significant growth in diameter.
Compared to conventional waterjet-cutting, the water pressure used in waterjet-guided laser cutting is significantly lower. Therefore, there is no material removal due to water pressure. Instead, a laser beam is coupled into the waterjet by focusing optics. The laser beam propagates through the water through total internal reflection at its borders. This continues until the laser beam reaches the workpiece where it removes material. The guidance provided by the waterjet allows for the processing of workpieces of greater thicknesses compared to conventional laser processing, while still ensuring high precision. Additionally, the resulting cutting surfaces and kerfs are clean and perpendicular.
Typical Achievable Specifications
- Machining of material thicknesses: 1 – 20 mm
- Cutting kerf widths: 50 – 200 µm
- Aspect ratios: up to 1:100
Materials:
- Metals and hard metals
- Technical ceramics
- Silicon carbide SiC / SiSiC
- Composite materials
Machine And Use-case Examples
(SiC, material thickness 8 mm)
(SiSiC, material thickness 10 mm)
Your Contact Person for sales
Louisa Draack
Technical sales
