BeamWatch provides noncontact laser profiling up to 100 kW
Traditional approaches that measure the consistency and quality of laser beam profiles are limited in the upper range of power measurement because those methods require intrusion of the beam. Ophir-Spiricon (North Logan, UT) says its BeamWatch instrument is the first noncontact laser beam profiler that can measure lasers emitting 980 to 1080 nm wavelengths with power levels from 1 kW to 100 kW on beam sizes up to 12.5 mm because there is no contact with the laser beam during measurement.
Every 60 ms, BeamWatch makes a complete set of real-time Rayleigh-scattering measurements caused by the beam, providing instant readings of focus spot size and beam position, as well as dynamic measurements of focal-plane location after the laser is turned on. Tolerance on waist width or spot size is ± 5%, and waist-location tolerance is ± 50 μm within the measurement window. Communicating with personal computers via high-speed Gigabit Ethernet standards for long cable lengths and noise immunity, BeamWatch provides both a technician mode to give the laser technician full beam diagnostics, while the operator mode provides the shop-floor laser user with a means of quickly and automatically checking the status of lasers during the production process and interfacing with the work cell to log the measurement results.
Contact John McCauley atjohn.mccauley@us.ophiropt.com.