Frequency spread of modern lasers?

[Dave Johnson29]

Hi All,

I just got a copy of JDS' suggested starting figures for 25W laser. They state Frequency up to 5,000.

My laser has a range of 1 to 39,999 for frequency.

I would like to know if that 5000 is the top figure for modern lasers? If so, I can proportion my 39,999:5000 (or 39,000:x,xxx) and arrive at a correction factor to use.

Thanks

[Joe Pelonio]

Mine Epilog is 5 years old, and tops is 5,000.

[Steve Clarkson]

Dave,

The max on my Epilog is 5,000.

[Jon Colley]

Assuming the 25W you have is from the ULS-1700 then I believe it should be a Synrad 48-2 tube. I know the DC tubes (circa ~1998 and later) have a max frequency of 20kHz. I hope this helps.

[Dave Johnson29]

Thanks guys, I will use the 5,000 and factor my frequency accordingly. It is after all only a starting figure.

[Dave Johnson29]

Assuming the 25W you have is from the ULS-1700 then I believe it should be a Synrad 48-2 tube.


Hi Jon,

Thanks for that. According to the manual Synrad sent me, you are correct the 48-2 tops out at 20KHz. However the controller on the ULS-1700 tops at 39,999. Input anything more than that and it defaults back to 39,999.

That is double the 48-2 max so I am not sure what ULS had in mind, but it does make a difference on output if I change the controller frequency from 39,999 to 20K.

I will use the 40K figure and adjust JDS' recommendations by a factor of 8. As JDS states, they are only starting figures.

Thanks for the reply.

[Rodne Gold]

Freq is dependant on the switching capabilities of a laser - they never fire "continuously" , the figure is somewhat irrelevant unless you are treppaning , ie drilling holes for cutting , the laser drills a series of holes when cutting.
the laser will not put out less power as freq rises or falls , what happenes is that as freq rises , the pulse is lot shorter and effectively the the material is subjected to that power for a much shorter tim , and of course , depending on head speed , you overlap those pulses big time and you are subjecting not the target area you want to spot to affect , but areas adjacent to it to heat.
the laser doesnt burn , the thermal shock of the power desnity of the beam is supposed to vaporise the material. sometimes this non vaporisation but "melting" or burning is useful, like when cutting perspex and want a polished edge , higher frequencies will put more heat spread more evenly over a cut and thus cause the melting when cutting for that nice polish.

[Jack Harper]

Freq is dependant on the switching capabilities of a laser - they never fire "continuously" , the figure is somewhat irrelevant unless you are treppaning , ie drilling holes for cutting , the laser drills a series of holes when cutting.
the laser will not put out less power as freq rises or falls , what happenes is that as freq rises , the pulse is lot shorter and effectively the the material is subjected to that power for a much shorter tim , and of course , depending on head speed , you overlap those pulses big time and you are subjecting not the target area you want to spot to affect , but areas adjacent to it to heat.
the laser doesnt burn , the thermal shock of the power desnity of the beam is supposed to vaporise the material. sometimes this non vaporisation but "melting" or burning is useful, like when cutting perspex and want a polished edge , higher frequencies will put more heat spread more evenly over a cut and thus cause the melting when cutting for that nice polish.

Thank for that description Rodne. My Vytek only goes to a max frequency of 1000 for vector cutting. I am guessing because of this low number, I will not be able to cut as clean of an edge as say an Epilog.