While Coractive’s research and development team enjoys working on projects that require long and complex research, they are sometimes also tasked with developing fibers for clients who need them very quickly!
We received a request from a client in the laser cleaning field to produce a large core fiber, over one hundred microns, with specific requirements beyond what we had done in the past. Adding to the challenge, this product needed to be ready to ship to the client in less than a month!
Norberto Ramirez, a member of the product development team for over three years, was the one who completed the project. Time was short, so he immediately initiated rapid prototyping steps.
Resolving an Overheating Issue
Yb-LMA type fibers already exist on the market, but certain applications require customized parameters. For example, one of the goals was to maintain good laser performance while reducing the fiber heating, an issue that can cause damage to the fiber and even jeopardize the technology.
Our challenge? To produce an optical fiber with customized parameters in less than a month, thus avoiding the need for the client to add a more powerful fiber cooling technology to the laser system.
Another major difficulty for our colleague was addressing the challenge of photodarkening, a detrimental phenomenon that can occur in Ytterbium-doped fibers. An excellent understanding of the chemistry of the fiber’s active core materials is necessary, as precise adjustments to the chemical components are required to achieve and optimize the specifications. Fortunately, our experience in manufacturing Ytterbium-doped fibers allowed us to immediately target an optimal chemical composition.
When Precision and Meticulousness Are Key
Certainly, we had in hand some technical specifications, but discussions with the client were also necessary to fully understand their needs and application. By optimizing the chemical composition of the fiber, we were able to present a new design with more advantageous specifications for the client.
With a solid understanding of the client’s desired chemistry, simulations, and precise discussions on the requested objectives, the timeline was more than expedited! The result: We were able to obtain a fiber prototype very quickly!
