Selection of Fiber Laser Protective Lens

The main function of the fiber laser protective lens is to prevent dust and splashes from damaging the focusing lens. However, the price of the protection lens on the market varies greatly, and the quality is also different. How to choose the right lens becomes particularly important. If the lens is not selected properly, it will not only cause excessive laser loss and frequent damage to the protection lens, but also the quality of the cut product will be unstable, causing serious losses to the company. Therefore, choosing a suitable protection lens is a very important thing.

1. Considerations for Choosing Fiber Laser Protective Lenses

1.1 External Dimensions

As long as the outer diameter and thickness meet the requirements, this is very easy to understand;

1.2 Material of the Product

According to different power usage, different materials can be selected considering cost control. The common materials are mainly K9, domestic quartz materials, and imported quartz materials. Based on past experience, K9 material can be used for protection lenses below 1000W; quartz material can be used for protection lenses between 1000W and 6000W; imported quartz material is recommended for protection lenses above 6000W;

1.3 Coating

Anti-reflection film corresponding to the laser band is used; unless otherwise specified, it is for anti-reflection film of 1030-1090nm. The coating process has a very important impact on the service life of fiber laser protective lenses.

2. Cleaning and Maintenance

When the laser is working, a large amount of gas and splashes will be released from the working surface when the laser cuts, welds, and heat treats the material, which will damage the lens. When contaminants fall on the surface of the lens, they will absorb energy from the laser beam, resulting in a thermal lens effect. If the lens has not yet formed thermal stress, the operator can disassemble and clean it. The specific operation should adopt a method that can avoid damaging the lens and further contamination. During the installation and cleaning of the lens, any sticky matter, even fingerprints or oil droplets, will increase the absorption rate of the lens and reduce its service life.

Therefore, the following precautions must be taken when installing the fiber laser protective lens:

• Never install the lens with bare fingers. Wear finger cots or rubber gloves.
• Do not use sharp instruments to avoid scratching the lens surface.
• Do not touch the film layer when taking the lens, but hold the edge of the lens.
• The lens should be placed in a dry and tidy place for inspection and cleaning. A good workbench surface should have several layers of cleaning paper towels or wipes, and several sheets of lens cleaning tissue.
• Users should avoid talking above the lens and keep food, drinks and other potential contaminants away from the working environment.

3. Correct Cleaning Method

The only purpose of cleaning the fiber laser protective lens is to remove the contaminants on the lens and avoid further contamination and damage to the lens. To achieve this goal, people should often adopt a method with relatively low risks. The following steps are set up for this purpose and should be adopted by users.

3.1 Use Compressed Nitrogen

Use an air ball (compressed nitrogen) to blow off the floating objects on the surface of the component, especially the lenses with tiny particles and floccules on the surface. This step is necessary. You cannot directly use the compressed air on the production line, because these air will contain oil and water droplets, which will deepen the contamination of the fiber laser protective lens.

3.2 Use a Special Cleaning Fluid to Lightly Clean the Lens.

This level of special cleaning fluid is almost water-free, which reduces the possibility of lens contamination. The reagent can be a mixed solution of acetone, ethanol and ether, or a special optical glass cleaning fluid sold on the market. First, use an absorbent cotton ball to further remove the floating dust on the surface, and then use dust-free paper to thoroughly clean the fiber laser protective lens.
If some contaminants and lens damage cannot be removed by cleaning, especially the film layer burns caused by metal splashes and dirt, then the protective lens needs to be replaced to restore the good performance of the equipment. When replacing the protective lens, if dirt is found, the lens also needs to be cleaned.

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