Polygon scanners can move a laser beam > 10x faster than a galvanometer scanner. The simplest implementation of a polygon scanner is a very fast line scan across a moving target. In applications like laser cleaning or surface treatment, a…
High power 1064 nm lasers have become very popular for material processing. 1064 nm is invisible to the human eye but it is still necessary to have some method to visualize the beam. Coated paper Laser Viewing/Detection Cards block 100%…
When galvanometer (galvo) scanners are not fast enough, a Polygon Scan Head may be the solution. A Polygon Scan Head can scan at hundreds of meters per second. Here is a block diagram of a single axis Polygon Scan Head. …
A suitable beam expander is used to adapt the source to the optical system. In an R&D project, multiple sources may be tested. Each source may have a different beam diameter so it is easier to use a zoom expander…
Beam expanders are required in most laser systems to change the diameter of the incoming source to match the requirement of the optical system. In size restricted applications, it is desirable to use a compact beam expander but in most…
When an engineer designs a laser scanning system, a suitable beam expander is used to adapt the source to the optical system. The scanning system can take a long time to develop and may remain in production for many years. …
Many laser systems have a beam expander to change the diameter of the beam from the source to match the requirements of the optical system. Most beam expanders have two or three lenses to accomplish the task. While three lenses…
The Focal-piShaper 9_HP presents a new version of refractive focusing beam shapers optimized to operate with modern high power Ultra-Fast (picosecond & femtosecond) lasers. Optical design of the Focal-piShaper 9_HP is adapted to high pulse energy and provides reliable transformation…
Life in the Ultrafast Lane with Fiber Lasers describes the progress being made by the industry to increase power levels of Ultrafast lasers using fiber technology. The article illustrates the superiority of Ultrafast /Ultra Short Pulse (USP) lasers for clean…
It is common practice in low power polygon scanner systems to use the working beam to trigger a Start-Of-Scan (SOS) detector. The SOS trigger is essential for accurate laser scanning. Polygon Scan Heads, used for material processing, employ high power…