there you get away from the idea of a physical product and move towards a concept, an idea, a way of thinking that takes into account connectivity, integration, flexibility, predictive maintenance and Industry 4.0,’ Neumann explained.
Going against the flow For the past two years, AMS Technologies has been developing a water-free cooling system that could reduce floor space considerably for its laser customers. By removing the water loop, a number of components, including the pumps, water reservoirs, and one of the heat exchangers, are no longer needed in the system. Not only does this reduce
industrial laser system manufacturer, they would like to get rid of the water loop
If you ask any
the physical footprint of the cooling system, it also reduces the amount of servicing required to maintain it, and removes the risks of working with water. ‘If you ask any industrial laser
system manufacturer, they would like to get rid of the water loop,’ Meise remarked. ‘Based on demos we have shown to our industrial laser customers, the removal of the water loop in cooling systems has generated lots of serious interest.’ Te water-free products use the
same inert refrigerant gas R134a that is in most of today’s chillers. However, in standard systems the gas is used to cool water that then goes on to cool the laser with a degree of stability. Now, with the water-free approach, AMS Technologies is using the gas to cool the laser directly. ‘Historically the gas would pass
through a heat exchanger to cool the water; now it passes through an evaporator, which is commonly a cold plate with a laser diode mounted on it,’ Meise explained. ‘In this approach we are using the cold plate or micro channels of a diode laser as the
evaporator for the vapour compression circuit.’ A number of demonstrators have
been built using the waterless technique, which is starting to be embraced by AMS’s customers. However, there are still particular challenges that have to be overcome before it can be more widely accepted. ‘Beyond the demonstration of feasibility, a meaningful adoption will still require thoughts about serviceability of laser systems based on this cooling concept,’ Meise said. Not only does removing the water
loop and the corresponding components reduce the maintenance requirements of the overall system, it also increases the ease of its setup. ‘With the waterless approach, we
deliver a closed cooling loop system to a customer, which is different to when we deliver a conventional chiller,’ explained Meise. ‘In the case of a conventional-type chiller the water loop – connected to the cold plate on which the laser is sitting – and the refrigerant loop can be serviced and exchanged separately. When initially installing this system you are filling the water aſter the laser is mounted. Te water-free approach – where the evaporator sits close to the laser – is instead shipped as one closed loop format, meaning there will be no filling of the water circuit required out in the field.’ A lack of water also dramatically reduces the risk of potential catastrophic damage should a leak or fault occur in the cooling loop, as it would only be gas that sprays into the laser system. Te new approach provides a
reliable, low maintenance option for today’s laser systems, according to
Five Axes Do It Better – precSYS For industrial laser micro processing: Flexible, clean-cut and sharp-edged drilling and cutting in the µm range
A sealed compressor system for water cooling
www.lasersystemseurope.com | @lasersystemsmag
www.scanlab.de
AMS Technologies
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