Hi

I would like to burn a small cloth fabric that is 10 meters away. what rate laser diode will I need?

thx

 

There are huge numbers of variables in this one. One of the significant ones is the color of the fabric. Another is the collimation of the laser. 10 meters is a large distance, most industrial units do it within a couple of cm.

Lasers have changed over the years, I'm frankly out of date. I used to service a 10W CO2 laser that melted solder, and we had a YAG laser that used 25 or so laser diodes to pump it, it was used to cut ceramics. If the collimation is tight you could get by with under a watt, as a guess.

 

There are huge numbers of variables in this one. One of the significant ones is the color of the fabric. Another is the collimation of the laser. 10 meters is a large distance, most industrial units do it within a couple of cm.

Lasers have changed over the years, I'm frankly out of date. I used to service a 10W CO2 laser that melted solder, and we had a YAG laser that used 25 or so laser diodes to pump it, it was used to cut ceramics. If the collimation is tight you could get by with under a watt, as a guess.

Good answer to a very vague question.

I can't help but wonder what he means by burning a cloth fabric. Is he trying to set it on fire, or cut a precise pattern out.

Also, at 10 m, I can't help but wonder if he is trying to light people on fire from a safe distance. ... or, perhaps setting high-flying flags ablaze without needing to climb a pole?

This question needs more clarification for sure.

What is the application?
Will this be used with people around, or in an enclosed protected area?
What is the material?
Is the material flammable, or will it melt?
What color is the material?
Does the laser radiation need to be at an eye-safe wavelength?

This is one of those touchy subjects where safety concerns become paramount, and warnings are needed. Risk of injury (burning, blindness etc) is very high with such laser systems.

 

This is not acceptable.