An innovative approach to enhance high-power laser material processing through the integration of a high-speed motion system combining galvo scanner and linear axes is presented. The research focuses on its application in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) depaneling with lasers, showcasing its precision and efficiency. The combined motion system, featuring a galvo laser beam scanner and multi-axis linear actuator structure, is custom designed to meet the specific demands of PCB depaneling. By combining the strengths of both components, complicated cutting patterns are achieved while minimizing thermal and mechanical stresses on the workpiece. Key to the system’s success is the seamless integration of motion components, facilitating precise coordination and synchronization during laser processing. This ensures real-time transmission of control commands and feedback signals across multiple axes, optimizing the system’s accuracy and efficiency. The motion system enables combined kinematic laser processing with fieldbus cycle times of 250 μs and galvo 2D repositioning time each 25 μs. This is achieved with own developed electronics and FIFO buffering of interpolated XY positions to achieve the desired trajectory within microseconds. This paper describes the analytical model used to achieve the combined motion as well as validation of motion and cutting velocities within the system. The experimental results show excellent process efficiency and high cut quality for several tested materials. As a conclusion, a high-speed motion system with coupled kinematics shows substantial advantages in laser materials processing thus revolutionizing manufacturing processes.
CO2 lasers as well as sealed CO2 lasers are well known and established in the industrial market. Due to the wavelength there is still a need for this type of lasers. New applications are demanding regarding pulse frequencies up to 100 kHz and more. Especially the printing and the automotive industry are markets which push innovations for these lasers. A novel design of combined rf amplifiers for high speed pulsing and gated pulsing for high pwm (pulse width modulation) in combination with suitable resonators is presented. The transient behavior of the rf signal during ignition brings todays semiconductors to their limits. Solutions for a reliable design are presented. The resulting super pulsed and gated pulsed CO2 laser beam is promising for state of the art applications. CLSM and SEM evaluation shows the advantages of pulsed laser operation with optimized laser resonators.
Laser material processing machines ranging from all kind of applications for different materials face imperfections. Problems such as inhomogeneous raw and focused laser beam diameter and beam mode as well as disturbed caustic along the working area (especially of a flatbed machine) exist in most machines that use or do not use beam expanders. Beam expanders are optic assemblies that are used to collimate the naturally divergent laser beam in order to achieve a more or less parallel propagating beam. Commercially available beam expanders which are supposed to play significant role in maintaining close to perfect beam diameter along the working area quite often do not perform as they are expected, mainly because of misalignment and weak design. Parameters such as beam expander distance from laser beam source, dimensions between the optical components of a beam expander, the tilts and shifts of the beam expander optics should be optimized. A 12m extendible laser testing bench equipped with an in-line raw beam profiler, twin hexapod operated beam expander, in-focus caustic beam profiler and a beam dump are used to adjust the mentioned parameters and observe the changes on the distorted beam. A software controlling the motorized bench is used to change the chosen parameters and display the results. The results will yield an optimization of caustic shape through standard calculation of beam parameters. This unique equipment enable us to optimize CO2 or fiber laser beams used for the aforementioned applications in relatively short times in comparison to a previously hand operated optic adjustments. Improvements and benefits achieved such as close to perfect material cuts along the working area of a machine are evaluated using CLSM/SEM.
Resonator design as well as the control of the beam shape are essential for successful application. A huge flat bed system (3,5 x 2,5 m) called 'Big Bertha' and a long optical bench (12 m) called 'Long Bertha' with flexible beam rails has been build as a basic research setup. Allmost all kinds of laser sources, optical components and measurement devices can be mounted and easily positioned with a special system called 'Beam Rail'. Additionally a twin hexapod operated beam expander with variable lenses can be used e.g. in order to optimize magnification factors for AOMs. Results of accurate M2 measurements of different laser sources are presented as well as the influence of various optical elements and examples for close to perfect beam paths are given.
There is a 500 billion USD world market for packaging expected to grow to a trillion in 2030. Austria plays an important role world wide for high speed laser engraving applications — especially when it comes to high end solutions. Such high end solutions are fundamental for the production of print forms for the packaging and decorating industry (e. g. cans). They are additionally used for security applications (e. g. for printing banknotes), for the textile printing industry and for creating embossing forms (e. g. for the production of dashboards in the automotive industry). High speed, high precision laser engraving needs laser resonators with very stable laser beams (400 – 800W) especially in combination with AOMs. Based upon a unique carbon fiber structure – stable within the sub-micrometer range – a new resonator has been developed, accompanied by most recent thermo-mechanical FEM calculations. The resulting beam is evaluated on an automated optical bench using hexapods, allowing to optimize the complete beam path with collimators and AOM. The major steps related to laser engraving of dry offset printing plates during the full workflow from the artists design to the printed result on an aluminum can is presented in this paper as well as laser characteristics, AOM integration and correlative CLSM and SEM investigation of the results.
Laser engraving is used for decades as a well-established process e. g. for the production of print and embossing forms for many goods in daily life, e. g. decorated cans and printed bank notes. Up to now it is more or less a so-called fire-and-forget process. From the original artist’s plan to the digitization, then from the laser source itself (with electronic signals, RF and plasma discharge regarding CO2 lasers) to the behavior of the optical beam delivery — especially if an AOM is used — to the interaction of the laser beam with the material itself is a long process chain. The most recent results using CO2 lasers with AOMs and the research done with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) — as a set for correlative microscopy to evaluate the high speed engraving characteristics — are presented in this paper.
The industrial market for processing large-scale films has seen dramatic changes since the 1980s and has almost completely been replaced by lasers and digital processes. A commonly used technology for engraving screens, print and embossing forms in the printing industry, well known since then, is the use of RF-excited CO2 lasers with a beam power up to about 1 kW, modulated in accordance to the pattern to be engraved. Future needs for high-security printing (banknotes, security papers, passports, etc.) will require laser engraving of at least half a million or even more structured elements with a depth from some μm up to 500 μm. Industry now wants photorealistic pictures in packaging design, which requires a similar performance. To ensure ’trusted pulses’ from the digital process to the print result the use of correlative microscopy (CLSM and SEM) is demonstrated as a complete chain for a correlative print process in this paper.
A new ultra stable CO2 laser in carbon fibre resonator technology with an average power of more than 600W has been developed especially as basis for the use with AOMs. Stability of linear polarisation and beam pointing stability are important issues as well as appropriate shaping of the incident beam. AOMs are tested close to the laser-induced damage threshold with pulses on demand close to one megahertz. Transversal and rotational optimization of the AOMs benefits from the parallel-kinematic principle of a hexapod used for this research.
High security printing as well as ultra high precision engraving need laser resonators with very stable laser beams (600 - 800W) especially in combination with AOMs. Based upon a unique carbon fiber structure - stable within the sub-micrometer range - a new resonator has been developed, accompanied by most recent thermo-mechanical FEM calculations. The resulting beam is evaluated on an automated optical bench allowing to optimize the complete beam path with collimators and AOM. Synchronous on-line evaluation with PyroCams and thus knowledge about how to minimize distortions within the nonlinear elements is presented in this paper.
KEYWORDS: Wavelets, Digital signal processing, Laser welding, Laser processing, Signal processing, Data compression, Plasma, Laser cutting, MATLAB, Compact discs
The online system, plasmo process observer, enables observation of plasma created by e.g. laser welding in two frequency bands, visible and near infrared. The system offers the feature of online detection of failures like pores and enables the user to store the measured data in databases. This paper deals with both aspects. First the application of wavelets for data preprocessing as a first step of online classification of failures is introduced. This time scale-analysis is compared to standard algorithms in frequency or time domain like DFT or digital filters respectively. The second part of this paper shows the capabilities of wavelets for data compression. This is necessary due to the large amount of data generated by the system. It is shown how important data can be extracted of noisy signals by using wavelets. The process observer has been successfully implemented in welding and drilling applications for automotive and aerospace industry with a very high recognition rate of all defects.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal processing, Control systems, Digital signal processing, Laser cutting, Silicon, Convolution, Intelligent sensors, Signal detection, Visualization
Laserwelding is a most important technique in automatic production lines for high numbers of production units. Visualizing the process accelerates the production, enables controlling the process parameters and reduces waste. We present latest results of an online visualization system in this industrial process. Sensor of different sensitivity, combined with optical materials, new in this field, give information to signal processors for mathematical evaluation. Computed result give immediate response to the system. We used the latest digital signal processing technique to cover the need for quick response within a few microseconds. Thus the system can react and for example exceed the laser power or add material to avoid pores.
`Plasmo', a novel designed fast signal processor based device has been developed. We use this modular system for the immediate evaluation of the quality of laser material processing. With this tool the machining process can be analyzed in real-time. An adaptable algorithm ensures that this system automatically adapts to parameter fluctuations during welding or cutting. A summary of our experience in the use in car industry is presented in this paper. We also present new ideas and first results to expand this system to detect the full spectrum of emitted light during process instead of two wavelengths used up to now.
Although the plasma properties of CO2 gas lasers have been extensively investigated there seems to be remaining uncertainties concerning the achievement of an optimized plasma state giving the best possible laser efficiency. Such optimization would be especially for high power lasers where a loss of some percents in efficiency can mean a considerable decrease for the laser output. To investigate the effects of plasma vs. rf interactions in longitudinal fast-flow CO2 lasers a sufficient adequate plasma theory is used, based on the cross-sections of all involved processes. The main interest lies in the determination of all relevant parameters such as the electric field and current density along the electrodes which have pronounced dependencies on gas temperature and pressure. Although these variables change enormously in downstream direction the model reveals plasma coefficients which stay as unchangeable constants. Moreover, as is common for longitudinal fast-flow CO2 lasers the electrodes are slightly inclined to obtain an increased laser performance, independent of the rf matching. By a rather simple consideration of plasma and rf interactions this effect can be basically explained so that an optimization for the best attainable efficiency is possible. The calculations are compared to measurements of different authors and are applied to a 6 kW fast flow coaxial system.
The application of laser welding has been introduced to industry during the last decade. Most of the work done has concentrated on the reliability of the process itself. Now, the next step is to increase the reliability of the laser source to build lasers more simple and to make them cheaper. This paper presents the results of the theoretical calculation of the coaxial laser resonator. The data of the raw and the focused beam have been investigated and first welding samples are demonstrated.
Welding of thin metal sheet is an application, which is more and more often applied in the field of material processing with laser. In many of these applications it is necessary to weld the thin metal with high speed. A new coaxial high power CO2-laser concept offers the possibility to weld these metals. The presented welding has been realized with sheet steels, which are coated with a zinc layer. The results of the experiments are presented with pictures of the application station and pictures of the weldseam. What is furthermore demonstrated, are the quality and the cross section of the welded materials.
In typical optical sensor setups for CO2 laser material processing there are scraper mirrors or beam selectors used to allow sensor positions, which have an coaxial path for both the laser beam and the monitored visible or near- infrared signal. For the monitoring and controlling of the laser welding process it is of interest to get information on the plasma stability. A two color photodiode sensor which has been successfully tested for quality monitoring of both cutting and ablation has been used for welding in order to find correlations between the sensor signal and the quality of the weld seam. Results and comparisons between cutting and welding will be presented.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Laser cutting, Signal processing, Silicon, Photography, Germanium, Data acquisition, Mirrors, Data processing, Algorithm development
Economical considerations in the industrial manufacturing of technical components force for improvement of established material machining processes. In the field of laser cutting and welding as a young technology, higher decollating and welding rates do always require quality inspection with new sensor combinations. Higher mathematical means are used to find relations between quality and measured signals with its aid the process is to be controlled. Combination of derivatives, integrals or statistical data give information of the quality. Even knowledge about the material weighted with rules of fuzzy-logic helps to control cutting speed and laserpower. In addition to different algorithms, those lead to evaluation offline the process, means of the online check are developed and presented.
In typical optical sensor setups for CO2 laser material processing scraper mirrors or beam selectors (ZnSe mirrors) are used to allow sensor positions which have a coaxial path for both the laser beam and the monitored visible or near- infrared signal. Calculations and experiments have shown a vital influence of the focusing element for the laser beam on the measured signal. Critical topics are the distance between focusing element and monitored process, as well as the dependence of focal length on wavelength.
Material processing by laser still offers a wide topic for investigations since interaction between light and material is very sensitive to inner and outside influences. Big efforts have to be taken to control the quality of laser cut edges, up to 6 mm. Using obtained optical signals from the cutting process efficient control highly depends on sophisticated mathematical methods. We present first contexts between two sensor signals of different wavelengths by the use of different mathematical algorithms. Important is the well done combination of these signals to achieve controlling rules both for the cutting speed and the laser power considering computation time for its evaluation.
The new concept of a coaxial high power CO2 laser offers the possibility of welding at high power with an excellent beam quality. The first applications show great progress in welding quality compared to competitive systems. In further experiments it is provided that the beam of this coaxial high power CO2 laser allows welding of different materials, especially aluminum, copper and brass with good quality and properties. The results are presented with pictures of the cross section and the properties of the weldseam.
The coaxial construction of a laser has proved to be a very interesting solution to achieve a very high laser power with comparatively small efforts. Optics for coaxial resonators have to be changed as well as the optics for the beam guidance. This new kind of laser is already being used to weld thick steal as well as various difficult materials. The fact that only two optical elements are used inside the resonator and another two optical elements outside makes the whole process very stable.
KEYWORDS: Electrodes, Plasma, Gas lasers, Resonators, High power lasers, Laser development, Capacitance, Dielectrics, Cooling systems, Estimation theory
A new design for a rf-excited CO2-laser uses coaxial electrodes. A high frequency blower located at one end of the electrode system generates a fast axial gas flow between the electrodes. The gas flow is reversed after passing the blower and moves back to the other end of the electrode system along the outer electrode, that carries a water-cooled heat-exchanger. So the gas reaches the other end of the electrode system with lower temperature and after a second reversal it again enters the cooling system. This kind of geometry then allows a very efficient cooling. Since the plasma has a hollow cylindrical shape, the extraction of radiation is not trivial. Several possibilities are available, e.g., a multipass-zig-zag-beam geometry. A theoretical estimation shows that this geometry, where the electrode system, gas flow and heat exchanger arrangement, and the resonator are integrated in a very rugged module, allows the user to obtain -- at least theoretically -- a beam power of 15 kW with a length of approximately 1 meter and an overall diameter of 70 centimeters.
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