TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION ADVERTORIAL
Laser Micromachining: Prototype to Production
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Technologies (XL-PT), based in Stockton-on-Tees in the North-East of England, recently added a second fine tube laser cutting system from Rofin-Baasel UK. As a result of increased demand for fine tube cutting and having reached the full capacity of the first ROFIN StarCut Tube, XL-PT took the decision to buy a new system in 2014. When deciding to add a second fine tube cutting system, XL-PT was keen to also expand the capability. In the new system, they opted for the ROFIN StarFiber 320FC fibre laser source rather than the lamp-pumped YAG laser they have been using in the original ROFIN laser cutting system since 2009. The new laser cuts 30% faster with better edge quality and can produce 10-15% more parts per shift than the previous system. Like the previous system, the new system has 4 CNC- controlled axes and an autoloader to automatically feed fresh tubes into the machine for higher throughput and lower operator intervention.
multiplies output at XL-PT A
Second laser cutter
s a result of continuing expansion, medical device component manufacturer XL Precision
Rofin-Baasel UK Ltd u 01327 701100 u
www.rofin.co.uk
enter 812
lueacre Technology offers precision Laser Micromachining solutions that have the
ability to process a wide range of materials including metals, plastics and ceramics.
Production Flexibility Blueacre Technology can support you through the complete lifetime of your product. We pro- vide an in-house contract manufacturing service while your product grows. If it is right for you, we can also transfer the manufacturing process into your facility to keep you in control.
Low Cost meets High Quality Quality is key to our service and we are ISO9001 and ISO13485 accredited. Using proprietary tools for process monitoring our laser cutting machines can offer unrivalled accuracy and ensure a high yield when achieving features down to 10 microns and up to 1mm deep.
Reliability By combining our inter-disciplinary knowledge and passion for quality, Blueacre Technology is ideally placed to advise its customers on the optimum micromachining processes and machine configura- tions for their products. Our support network enables us to respond quickly when you need us, and our training and extensive documentation make you the expert.
Capabilities Key areas of expertise:
• Laser Cutting • Laser Drilling • Marking & Engraving • Ablation
Blueacre Technology u + 353 (0) 42 9386922 u
www.blueacretechnology.com
enter 813
ImageIR® 9300
Hamamatsu’s Micro-spectrometer wins 2015 Prism Awards
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amamatsu Photonics was among the 2015 Prism Awards winners recognized at a gala banquet during Photonics West 2015 in San Francisco, California, USA. The company’s micro-spectrometer
received the Prism Award for Photonics Innovation in the detectors and sensors category. The award-winning micro-spectrometer is a UV-Visible spectrometer about the size of a fingertip
(20.1 x 12.5 x 10.1 mm). It is a fraction of the size of traditional spectrometers, so it can be easily integrated into instruments or connected to mobile devices (smart phones and tablets) for point-of- care testing, colour measurements, and other applications. The micro-spectrometer features miniature components, a nanoimprinted grating and a sensor chip,
fabricated using MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology. The sensor chip features a CMOS linear image sensor sensitive to UV-Visible wavelengths and a light-entrance-slit etched into the silicon substrate. Etching the slit in silicon instead of using a traditional metal slit helped reduce the micro-spectrometer’s size. The grating and sensor chip are sealed within a hermetically sealed case that is resistant against humidity, which makes the micro-spectrometer usable in high-humidity environments that traditional spectrometers do not tolerate well.
Hammamatsu u 01707 294 888 u
www.hamamatsu.com
enter 814 / MICROMATTERS
manufacturing is of great importance to industry. Newly introduced to the UK by Armstrong Optical Ltd., the ImageIR® 9300 thermography camera manufactured by InfraTec GmbH in Germany has been developed to ensure that such measurements can be made, non-contact, with great accuracy. The ImageIR® 9300 uses the latest cooled sensor technology allowing measurements to be made at high frame rates with high thermal and spatial resolution. The 1,280x1,024 pixel sensor delivers excellent performance enabling features varying in temperature by <15mK (0.015°C) to be measured at kilohertz frame rates. Thermography cameras make excellent tools for measuring temperature variation in a non-contact fashion and using radiometrically calibrated lenses extends their usage widely. Remote measurement becomes possible using telephoto lenses and 1x, 3x and 8x microscopic lenses make microscopic measurements simple. The spatial resolution of the 8x lens enables features of 1.9µm to be measured accurately and repeatably.
A
Armstrong Optical Ltd u 01604 654220 u
www.armstrongoptical.co.uk
enter 815 SPRING 2015 | MICROMATTERS 33
ccurate temperature measurement during product or component operation and
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