IPU initiates and leads the EUROSTARS project within fibre laser cutting.

Laser cutting is a very common and well-developed production technology. For more than 30 years, the predominant laser source for cutting has been the CO2 laser. But - with the emergence of the high power fibre laser, a powerful technology change has started. On the basis of a patent pending method, IPU has initiated an international development project which is co-financed under the EUREKA programme for small and medium sized enterprises, EUROSTARS. The project, which is named "E!5197 DOEFLAC", was evaluated to be no. 24 among 112 approved projects in the third round of applications.

The aim of the project is to develop a new technological platform for laser cutting based on diffractive optical elements for fibre laser cutting.

The technical content is to develop a new (patent pending) laser cutting technology with at unique potential in terms of productivity and quality by use of complex multiple beam patterns in the cutting kerf, which are generated by focusing a high power diffraction limited fibre laser beam by means of diffractive optical elements (artificial holograms).

The result is expected to be a prototype of a new generation of laser cutting machine intended for plane sheets laser cutting with coaxial gas assistance, which will be able to outperform state-of-the-art laser cutting globally. The market for plane plate laser cutting machines is approx 4,000 machines per year (2008) at a total market value of approx EUR 2 billion.

Besides IPU, which is project manager, the consortium consists of the following companies: Laser Optical Engineering, England, Finsomac, Italy, and Optoskand, Sweden.

The project start-up took place at a kick-off meeting in Kongens Lyngby on 26 April 2010.

Contact: Senior Engineer, Lic. Techn. Flemming Olsen,