compiled by Laureen Belleville, [email protected]
A 2D laser cutting system from Prima North America (Chicopee, MA; www.prima-na.com), Syncrono features a patented laser head, designed with two additional small, linear-driven parallel kinematic axes on the moving gantry, effectively creating a “machine within a machine.” The cutting head can cut at accelerations up to 6 G, enabling Syncrono to cut more than 1000 holes per minute. According to the company, the small size of the linear drives, combined with stiff, lightweight titanium components, produce minimal inertia, allowing mass to be moved with three times less the power of typical machines. A vibration-free design and a constant beam path throughout the 60 x 120 inch work area provides accurate, reliable cutting, even in small and intricate profiles.
Laser slat cleaner
The TSC 1 from TRUMPF (Farmington, CT; www.trumpf-powertools.com) quickly and easily removes slag from the slats of laser cutting machines. Using this tool, it takes about 20 minutes to clean a pallet approximately 5 x 10 feet in size. According to the company, the tool pays for itself quickly because it costs about 75 percent less than replacement of one pallet. Also, when compared with manual cleaning, users can save about two-thirds of the cost per cleaning procedure, on average. The tool is self-propelled and moves across the entire strip width with light hand guidance.
Safety coating
Depending on the applications and individual requirements, users have the choice of several protective coatings from Laservision GmbH (Furth, Germany; www.lvg.com). For example, the company’s Nd:YAG coating offers at 1064 nm an OD 7+. As a result, the Nd:YAG laser radiation will be decreased by a factor of 10 million. According to the company, the user has an excellent color view and the VLT is 85 percent, which corresponds to a normal window. This coating can be fixed on almost every kind of glass and/or plastic filter.
Laser coder
The Videojet 3320 from Videojet Technologies Inc. (Wood Dale, IL; www.videojet.com) creates consistent, crisp marks on high-speed production lines. The laser coder prints standard and 2D barcodes, expiration dates, batch and lot codes, serial numbers, symbols, and manufacturer names and logos at a rate of 1300 characters per second (for line speeds up to 15 product marks per second). It will accept most common data formats to enable use of standard CAD and graphics programs. It can be controlled using a handheld controller or online via an external device.
Multiaxis motion controller
New from Aerotech Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA; www.aerotech.com), the Ensemble Epaq provides up to six axes of motion control in one integrated, standalone package. It can daisy chain three extra drives so that the user can command up to nine axes of coordinated motion under program control. The user can seamlessly mix and match drive types within the same positioning system using a common programming and control platform. Multiple Epaqs can be controlled from one Windows PC through Ethernet or USB.
Cylindrical lenses
A full line of ZnSe cylindrical lenses, offered with a variety of focal lengths and sizes for refocusing a laser beam into a line shape is being introduced by Laser Research Optics (Providence, RI; www.laserresearch.net). The CO2 cylindrical lenses feature focal lengths from 5 inches to 30 inches with ±0.5 percent tolerance. Designed for refocusing a 10.6μm laser beam into a line shape, they are available in sizes from 1-inch to 2-inch diameter with ±0.005 inch CT. They are priced according to configuration and quantity.
Wafer processing system
The IX-1100 C2C UV 193nm excimer laser wafer processing system from J P Sercel Associates (Hollis, NH; www.jpsalaser.com) is equipped with cassette-to-cassette automated wafer loading/unloading systems and the company’s factory automation software. According to the company, the system can process more than 80 wafers per hour and is suited for a variety of materials, including GaAs, silicon, and sapphire. Applications include micromachining, microvia drilling patterning, annealing and others.