Beam shaping technology developer Cailabs (Rennes, France) has introduced its CANUNDA-HP top-hat shaper for use in high-power surface treatment; it generates an extremely homogeneous, well-defined rectangular beam profile, which is particularly useful for the shaping of composite fibers. This innovative process is used in aeronautics for the automated manufacturing of lighter parts to reduce fuel consumption. Other high-powered surface treatment uses include heating unidirectional composite strips, hardening or polishing metals, and cleaning surfaces.
“The product we have developed produces a rectangular-shaped beam, referred to as a ‘top-hat’; i.e., with a homogeneous light intensity and very sharp edges,” explains Gwenn Pallier, CANUNDA Product Line Manager at Cailabs. “This makes it possible to provide energy evenly and precisely over a very specific area.”
This solution, proposed by Cailabs, combines compactness and high-quality beam shaping in a lightweight, turnkey system—that means it can be fitted to robotized machine, in particular in the aeronautics and automotive industries. This module can be easily integrated, thanks to its specially adapted connector and integrated cooling system.
This product was developed to meet the needs of Coriolis Composites (Lorient, France), which designs and produces automated fiber placement machines dedicated to the manufacturing of parts in composite material. This manufacturing technique is used in aeronautics to build lighter components that are just as strong as those built using conventional metallic materials. “Thermoplastic resins are recyclable and can be reused during the process, but they need to be heated to a high temperature, which can only be achieved with a laser,” explains Yvan Hardy, Technical Director of Coriolis Composites. Cailabs designed the beam shaping module to be fitted on one of the Coriolis Composites machines: the C-Solo. The homogeneous and well-defined laser beam profile increases the quality of the parts produced, providing strong adhesion and cohesion between layers.
The top-hat shaper is a new addition to the high-power range of the CANUNDA product line, which already includes the CANUNDA-HP ring shaper (for laser welding processes). Cailabs will continue its development by demonstrating its product’s performance in other fields of application: “The next challenge for the CANUNDA-HP Top-Hat Shaper is laser hardening, a technique used in the automotive industry to selectively modify the mechanical properties of a material,” concludes Guillaume Bouquet, CANUNDA Sales Manager at Cailabs.