Concrete cutting with Nd-YAG-laser

摘要

In Europe especially in Germany there is a growing demand for redevelopment of concrete apartment buildings. For giving the apartments a new outline, concrete walls have to be removed and openings for new doors have to be made. The construction industry was searching for a cutting technology without using water and without loud noise for avoiding the temporal relocation of residents. At Fraunhofer-Instiut IWS a laser cutting technology which fulfils these conditions was developed. Using a 3 kW-Nd-YAG-laser we succeeded in cutting 70 mm concrete with up to 25 mm/min. The technology is described and the design of a cutting equipment suitable on building sites is presented.