Advanced welding techniques with optimized accessories for high brightness 1 µm lasers

Within the past couple of years one can see several trends in laser material processing. On the one hand optimized application results necessitate advancements of the equipment as e.g. laser sources, laser light cables and focusing optics. On the other hand the optimization of the application results due to a very good process understanding and optimized accessories is indispensible. This paper will link recent insights into process mechanisms e.g. in high power welding based on high speed video and modern process diagnostic methods to an optimization of accessories. We will show an example on the influence of the metal vapor plume to the achieved welding results and present a device allowing more constant welding results regarding surface quality and penetration depth. The second part of the paper will focus on the latest advances in remote scanner processing and wobbling techniques when processing different joints and in welding of aluminum.