Non-Contact Industrial Beam Monitoring Systems offer 2D views.
Press Release Summary:
Without requiring contact with beam, BeamWatch® instantly measures focus spots down to 80 µm dia in 60 msec intervals and position for YAG, disc, fiber, and diode lasers from 980–1,080 nm. Rayleigh scatter measurement allows monitoring at frequent intervals without shutting down or disrupting process, and 2D viewing of beams determines roundness or presence of astigmatism. Able to be run in Technician or Operator Mode, industrial laser beam profilers serve material processing applications.
Original Press Release:
Ophir Photonics Expands BeamWatch® Family of Non-Contact Industrial Beam Monitoring Systems for High Power YAG, Fiber, and Diode Lasers
New Models Feature 2D Beam Views and Smaller Diameter Focus Spot Size Measurements
San Francisco, CA – Ophir Photonics, global leader in precision laser measurement equipment and a Newport Corporation company, today announced the expansion of the BeamWatch® family of industrial laser beam profilers at Photonics West. BeamWatch is the industry's first non-contact, focus spot size and position monitor for very high power YAG, fiber, and diode lasers. Designed for material processing applications, the system instantly and accurately measures laser parameters without requiring contact with the laser beam. New features include the ability to monitor smaller diameter focus spots – down to 80µm – for cutting and welding of thinner materials, and 2D viewing of beams to determine roundness or the presence of astigmatism.
"Laser cutting applications need the beam focused to a minimum spot size to maximize energy density and produce precision cuts," said Gary Wagner, General Manager (U.S.), Ophir Photonics. "But many factors affect spot size, including the beam delivery system, thermal lensing, focal length, and spherical aberrations. BeamWatch measures key size, position, and quality parameters, including focus spot shift, waist width, and beam propagation parameter (M2). This means you can finally watch and adjust to focus spot shifts in real-time. And with 2D viewing, you can see whether the beam is really round or if the vertical and horizontal components of the beam focus on different locations along the beam path."
BeamWatch makes no contact with the laser because it measures the Rayleigh scatter of the beam. This means beams can be monitored at frequent intervals without having to shut down or disrupt the process to gain access. Conventional measurement systems place a probe in the beam, causing potential damage and slowing measurement; it could take up to two minutes to gather data and characterize the beam. BeamWatch provides instant focus spot size measurements in millisecond intervals.
BeamWatch monitors high power YAG, disc, fiber, and diode lasers in the 980-1080nm range and measures focal spot location at 60ms intervals to indicate whether focal spot shifts are occurring during critical start-up moments.
The system includes the tools to implement an Automation Server written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), C/C++, or ActiveX applications, such as LabVIEW or Microsoft Excel.
BeamWatch can be run in two modes. Technician Mode provides access to the tools needed for start-up and advanced beam diagnostics, such as optimizing measurement parameters or establishing pass/fail criteria. Operator Mode has a run-time interface that displays measurements at video rates. Graphic displays help operators quickly understand the status of the laser's performance without having to interact with the laser or the monitoring system.
Availability & Pricing
The BeamWatch family includes three models, all of which are available now:
- NEW: 2D viewing of 200-400µm focus spots at ≥1kW power
- NEW: 1D viewing of 80-200µm focus spots at ≥1kW power
- 1D viewing of 200-400µm focus spots at ≥1kW power
Pricing is available on request. The BeamWatch data sheet can be viewed at: http://ow.ly/IEod2.
About Ophir Photonics
With over 35 years of experience, Ophir Photonics, a Newport Corporation company, provides a complete line of instrumentation including power and energy meters, beam profilers, spectrum analyzers, and goniometric radiometers. Dedicated to continuous innovation in laser measurement, the company holds a number of patents, including the R&D 100 award-winning BeamTrack power/position/size meters; BeamWatch®, the industry's first non-contact, focus spot size and position monitor for lasers in material processing; and Spiricon's Ultracal, the baseline correction algorithm that helped establish the ISO 11146-3 standard for beam measurement accuracy. The Photon family of products includes NanoScan scanning-slit technology, which is capable of measuring beam size and position to sub-micron resolution. The company is ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited for calibration of laser measurement instruments. Their modular, customizable solutions serve manufacturing, medical, military, and research industries throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.ophiropt.com/photonics
Sales Inquiries: sales@us.ophiropt.com
For more information, contact:
Gary Wagner, General Manager
Ophir Photonics (U.S.)
3050 North 300 West
North Logan, UT 84341
Tel: 435-753-3729
E-mail: gary.wagner@us.ophiropt.com
Web: http://www.ophiropt.com/photonics
PR Office:
Shari Worthington
Telesian Technology Inc.
49 Midgley Lane
Worcester, MA 01604
Tel: 508-755-5242
E-mail: sharilee@telesian.com
© 2015. BeamGage and BeamWatch are registered trademarks and Pyrocam, BeamMic, BeamTrack, NanoScan, and Ultracal are trademarks of Ophir-Spiricon. All other trademarks are the registered property of their respective owners.
