Leonardo's tap-water cooled T6 diode stacks were implemented in the Integrated Laser-Assisted Consolidation System, developed by Creare LLC (Hanover, NH) for carbon composite heating. Free-space direct diodes offer a cost-effective, energy efficient and compact method of heating materials.
This system uses fast-responding free-space (non-fiber coupled) semiconductor laser diodes as the heat source. This alternative heating method leads to markedly improved thermal efficiency, as direct diodes enable precise control of the heating profile.
The final system design includes four tap-water cooled T6 diode stacks from Leonardo. The T6 stacks were chosen because they were the only laser packages that would produce the power level required while fitting into the available physical space. The customized spacing between the bars was configured so that up to 2000W of optical power could be evenly distributed across the work surface. The electrical path was configured to allow each stack to be powered individually based on the number of prepreg tows being processed. The composite material temperature is actively monitored by the system and a closed-loop system controls the current to each diode, allowing for the power to be adjusted accordingly. The laser system delivers heat in a focused area and allows quick on/off operation.