UKAEA


Moving Optics


The cutting head was used to cut pipes with walls 5mm-thick, that were made from two different types of steel (top). The laser binds the kerf material to the exit side of the cut (bottom)


Smart DeflectorsTM Application Adaptable Laser Beam Steering


applications. Blackburn said the project has since attracted a lot of attention from larger, tier-1 manufacturers as well, which have expressed interest in using the new processing head to develop multi-functional production cells that would allow them to compress the footprint of their factories. The processing head


features a new, automatically driven re-configurable optics technology, called Beam Forming Unit (BFU), which has been developed to deliver a range of energy distributions suitable for welding, cutting and cladding. In this way, downtime due to changing from one process to another will be considerably reduced. Process monitoring


capabilities are also offered by the new system, both through a beam splitter and multiple camera-based CMOS sensors that are able to measure back-reflected radiation in wavelengths ranging from the visible to the infrared. This gives the operator the ability to determine whether each process is being performed to the required quality during processing. The system is able to handle powers up to 10kW and is targeted for use with continuous wave (CW) fibre lasers. All the powder and gas required for the three types of process it offers will be delivered through a gas delivery unit (GDU). The user interface of the


processing head is linked to a knowledge database comprising the cumulative experience of TWI and its partners, which can be searched by operators to obtain


the optimal parameters for a process. The optics of the processing head can then be reconfigured automatically via on-board intelligent algorithms, using the selected parameters, to deliver the required beam caustic for the process. With the hardware developed


TWI is now in the process of performing lab-scale validation trials of the system, referring to the industrial case studies selected in the project, covering the automotive and power industry sectors. The whole system will then be delivered to CRF, the research arm of Fiat and a project partner of ModuLase, in Q2 this year so they can use it in one of their production cells, for validation in a manufacturing environment. Prior to this, TWI has tested the system on the same materials and sheet thicknesses that Fiat deals with – dual phase, 600 MPa, zinc-coated steel at a sheet thickness anywhere between 0.8 to 1.6mm – and has been able to achieve results that match the quality and geometry specifications of Fiat’s welding applications, and at the same level of productivity. ‘Then, with the same


process head but with a slight adjustment a minute or two later, we were able to cut out the bits of the material that Fiat want to cut, using the same laser and the cutting end effector,’ Blackburn concluded. The ModuLase project has


received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and is an initiative of the Photonics and Factories of the Future Public Private Partnerships. l


WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG


 Smart DeflectorTM can be fitted with 10, 15, 20 and 30 mm aperture mirrors  Fully integrated rotational servo system  Available angular ranges: 800, 640, 180 mrad  Single coaxial SDP (Shared Data Power) connection  20 bit set point control  Low drift (typical 12µrad/8 hours)  Low temperature coefficient (typical 25 ppm/°K)  Patented moving coil drive with low inductance for superior speed  Fully digital H-bridge for single supply (12VDC) operation at maximum efficiency  Spring preloaded hybrid bearing system for long life time  Field replaceable mirrors and auto tune support


Evolution co-financed by IWT-Vlaanderen (SME-Innovation project)


CUA32 control card Probably the highest value 6-axis controller in the world


 6-axis numerical control system  Steers up to 3 Smart DeflectorsTM and up to 3 stepper drivers  Full 3D hybrid marking support  Controls up to 17 digital and 4 analog IO’s  Direct AC (110-240 V) or DC (24-48V) power connection  Up to 8 systems can be interconnected as master/slave  USB and Ethernet for host connection  Ethernet, CAN and UART for system integration  DIN rail mountable  Modular internal construction for easy customization  Application interface through G-code or DLL  Configuration software for activation of advanced features


Evolution co-financed by the European Union


Newson NV www.newson.be


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