Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
It took me several years of experimentation (like an aircrash investigator who looks at a pile of debris and tries to work out why) before I discovered the vital bits of optical knowledge that allowed me decode the mechanism by which a diverging ( and weakening) laser beam cuts a pararallel kerf. What I learnt about lenses and laser beams during my CO2 journey was easily transferrable to diode technology. I have now established that the damage mechanism that a diode laser uses, for most materials, involves employing a 3rd party material (carbon) to absorb light energy and destroy/damage the material. However, this does not explain how a diode laser can cut a perfectly straight parallel kerf through thick materials when the beam below the focal point is diverging and losing power. People take it for granted that a laser beam cuts because "expert" product designers and and sales teams cherry pick certain facts to hide the limitations of the technology Only the positives are demonstrated and accentuated. My goal is not brand comparison but to examine the naked technology in a critical and dispassionate way to see if there are ANY positives that I can REALLY exploit. There is no criticism of my Laser Tree K40 because it is just a generic diode laser source that happens to bear a brand name That same core diode laser souce will be embodied in many other brands.
This session is even more technical than usual but understand the content and you will be able to view your beam's performance (and the 455nm technology) in a completely different way.
It took me several years of experimentation (like an aircrash investigator who looks at a pile of debris and tries to work out why) before I discovered the vital bits of optical knowledge that allowed me decode the mechanism by which a diverging ( and weakening) laser beam cuts a pararallel kerf. What I learnt about lenses and laser beams during my CO2 journey was easily transferrable to diode technology. I have now established that the damage mechanism that a diode laser uses, for most materials, involves employing a 3rd party material (carbon) to absorb light energy and destroy/damage the material. However, this does not explain how a diode laser can cut a perfectly straight parallel kerf through thick materials when the beam below the focal point is diverging and losing power. People take it for granted that a laser beam cuts because "expert" product designers and and sales teams cherry pick certain facts to hide the limitations of the technology Only the positives are demonstrated and accentuated. My goal is not brand comparison but to examine the naked technology in a critical and dispassionate way to see if there are ANY positives that I can REALLY exploit. There is no criticism of my Laser Tree K40 because it is just a generic diode laser source that happens to bear a brand name That same core diode laser souce will be embodied in many other brands.
This session is even more technical than usual but understand the content and you will be able to view your beam's performance (and the 455nm technology) in a completely different way.
