High Peak-power Q-switched 1064 nm Lasers

Outstanding laser performance is only one of several factors that contribute to customer satisfaction. Reliability, flexibility, ease of integration, user-friendly software and supportive personnel are of equal importance. We strive to excel in all these areas. Together with a number of partner organizations within the EU, the company develops and produces OEM lasers and components, mainly for marking applications.

Our lasers in the XS-series are compact, diode-pumped lasers based on Nd:YVO4. Both the laser and the integrated scanhead are easily controlled over a USB 2.0 connection by means of the included software. All power supply and control electronics are incorporated in a single rack that also includes a display for accessing system diagnostics. The system comes well prepared for PLC communication and integration into larger machines. It is completely air-cooled with PWM-modulated fans for reduced noise level.

1.      System description

The system is intended as an OEM pulsed 1064 nm laser source. The system is fully prepared to be integrated with a scanhead into a laser marking machine (as shown in the right photo).

The system consists of two main units; an electronics rack and a laserhead. The rack contains all power supply and control electronics, as well as a diode package capable of delivering continuous laser light at 808 nm. Two cables connect the rack to the laserhead; a fiber-optic cable for the laser light from the diodes and a cable for the signal to the Q-switch (laser pulse generator). A third socket on the rack provides XY2-100 protocol signals for a possible customer-attached scanhead. This socket also includes a 3A ±15 V power supply.

The laserhead consists of the laser resonator. Inside the resonator, the continuous laser light at 808 nm is transferred into pulsed laser light at 1064 nm. The laserhead also contains a red 1 mW laser diode that can be used to illustrate the beam path.

The whole system is controlled over USB connection by the included software. The more important functions can also be controlled externally by e.g. PLC through a 37-pin d-sub socket. Furthermore, the system can be programmed through the libraries given by the software or directly in the editor by VB script.

The system is a class 4 laser that is fully prepared for integration into a class 1 laser machine according to the EN 68025-1:2007 standard.

2. Technical specifications

XS-20 is an end-pumped laser with a minimum of service need and a long diode lifetime.

3. Cooling system

The entire system is air-cooled which eliminates the need for tubes with liquid coolants. The rack is cooled by four fans modulated with PWM for minimum noise level in each given situation. There is also a filtered air inlet in the front of the rack. The laserhead is cooled by an integrated fan.

The temperature of eight strategic points in the rack such as the diode package and the power supply modules can be read from the display.

4. Cabling

The cabling between the rack and the laserhead is made up of two cables. One of these cables is the fiber-optic cable for transporting the diode package laser light to the resonator. When bent, that cable has a minimum radius of curvature of 10 cm. Otherwise there are no special restrictions for this cabling, just note that the standard length of all cables is 3 m.

5. Software

If the laser is to be used for applications that does not require beam steering, i.e. with no attached scanhead, a simple software interface can be provided that allows for setting the power level and repetition rate of the laser.

However, a powerful software for beam steering applications, especially laser marking, is included in the laser system. “XS Designer” is a user-friendly software of high quality. Items that can be processed include serial number incrementation, dates, data matrix codes and bar codes. XS Designer has a powerful editing function and is open for third party programming. That is, there are no locked functions that have to be accessed by us, so program modifications can easily be implemented by the customer through e.g. script interface.

The minimum computer requirements of the software are just Windows XP SP3 and a free USB port.

6. Safety

The system is a class 4 laser that is fully prepared for integration into a class 1 laser machine in compliance with EN 60825-1:2007. This means for example that critical functions such as shutter and emergency stop are duplicated on a d-sub socket in the rack for external control outside the hazard area. Other standard examples include redundancy and protection from sudden restarts.

Apart from these standard safety measures, the system also offers several added safety layers. One example is the use of “ON Q-switching” that prohibits power leakage during stand-by or when scanning over a sensitive area that should remain unmarked. Another example is a watchdog function in the control board that stops the lasing if the scan speed drops below a critical level.

 Diode End-Pumped UV Nd:YAG Laser (355nm & 266nm)

ADVANTAGES

l         Patent pending harmonic conversion technologies

l         24/7 proven reliability

l         Excellent beam quality, pulse and pointing stability

l         Low operational cost

l         Field-replaceable pumping diode

l         Ultra-compact and low weight

AWAVE UV SERIES

Awave UV series, are Q-switched, nano-second pulsed TEM00 mode lasers and engineered for the highly demanding 24/7 production environment, consisting of a laser head and a laser controller connected with a ∼2.5 meter umbilical cable. The hermatically sealed pumping diodes are located in the laser controller for easy field-replacement. The laser head is hermetically packaged in a clean room. Awave UV series lasers are featured with pulse frequency ranging from 1-200 kHz (200~400 kHz is optional), average power covered from 10 mW to 12 W, with pulse energy in excess of 10 mJ.

LASER COMMON SPECIFICATIONS

LASER MODEL

The lasers are designed and engineered with flexible laser architectures. As a result, application scientists can specify laser requirements based on their needs. Please contact us for any laser requirements exceeding standard specifications.

Example:

UTIIILIIITY AND ENVIIIRONMENTAL REQUIIIREMENTS

DIMENSION AND WEIGHT

Typical parameters of Awave-355-15W-100k

LY Series Diode End-pumped Lasers (1064nm, 532nm, 355nm & 266nm)

Diode End-pumped laser series adopt full sealed-off design with small volume and low power consumption as well as fiber pumping, which is easily for the integration of system and equipment. The modularized design provides the convenience for changing by customers. What's more, it's absolute air cooling, the micro-optics design of key pumping  source is the most advanced all over the world.

FEATURES

● Diode pumped air cooling technology-low power consumption

● High efficiency fiber-coupled diode pumping technology

● Unique split type design

● Good beam quality

APPLICATIONS

Widely used for the OEM project including precise marking, engraving, scribing , fluting, skinning, cutting, ranging, resistance adjustment and crystal fine-tuning system.