Manufacturers are turning to just-in-time production to meet the needs of complex, ever-changing supply chains. This means the production process has to be extremely efficient – and smooth – with every component coming out just right. For processes using laser cutting and welding, this involves using laser measurements to make sure the laser is interacting…
Today, additive manufacturing (AM) is being used on industrial scales and not only to print prototypes, so the quality of the produced parts and the repeatability of the process are now crucial. A key factor in the quality of the finished AM product is the condition of the laser and optical components used. To ensure…
Axtra3D was founded in 2021 with the ambitious goal to shake up the additive manufacturing industry. Only one year later, the company introduced its Hybrid PhotoSynthesis Technology (HPS), which is indeed transforming the market. HPS is the first coaxial system to allow the user to print fine features very fast and with superior surface finishing.…
How can you assure your AM laser is performing as needed to produce high quality, consistent builds? Some modern in-situ tools provide a partial picture of the performance of the lasers that are empowering your 3D laser printers, but they often don’t tell the complete story because they capture only a portion of the laser…
Measurement of high-power lasers requires efficient heat control in power measurement sensors. Choosing the right heat transfer method is a critical step in configuring a reliable, accurate high-power laser meter. The following article, written by Asher Izsak, sr. mechanical engineer on our R&D team, explains why choosing the right heat control method is one of…
Production quality has always been a hot topic in laser powder bed fusion. At Formnext, you get the chance to discover three laser measurement solutions in AM that help you succeed: Stand-alone laser power measurement – The Ophir® Ariel device measures up to 8KW even in space constraint applications. The wireless device is splash water…
Laser beams with powers of many tens of kilowatts are becoming increasingly common in today’s industrial applications. However, as the powers increase, the stakes increase as well. In this webinar, Mark Slutzki of Ophir discusses how to monitor appropriate laser parameters to keep high-power processes stable and predictable. * The webinar was produced by Photonics…
Maintaining performance throughout a laser cutting or welding process is critical to achieving high quality results and preventing damage to materials. This is best done by monitoring the process and measuring certainlaser parameters, to identify issues and allow for preventative maintenance. Laser cutting and welding performance When it comes to laser cutting and welding, maintaining…
Raw materials and energy are precious, and the agreed-upon climate targets are ambitious. To achieve greater sustainability, manufacturing processes must be redesigned to conserve resources. Companies have long recognized the opportunities that additive manufacturing offers in this context. A case in point is the rapidly growing field of 3D metal printing – and it is…
If you use lasers in material “micro processing” applications – such as drilling via holes in PCBs, OLED display “lift-off”, cutting of smartphone cover glass – you already know how difficult the challenges are. The often delicate combination of laser parameters – ultra short pulse duration, high repetition rate, perhaps short wavelength among others –…
Laser welding, cutting, or cladding has become increasingly popular and, in most cases, has been performed at the NIR wavelength region. However, NIR lasers are less efficient for copper processing due to high reflectivity and therefore low energy absorption. Copper absorbs just 5% of the laser energy at 1070nm, but up to 40 % at…
Do you want to streamline your laser testing processes and achieve faster and more accurate results? Some of the answers come from automation and customization. What if you could automate the testing process, eliminate manual testing, export measurement data to files, and streamline your analysis? What if you could customize a testing process that allows…