Concerted Functionality Enables High Productivity

Equipped with pulsed Nd:YAG lasers, single-mode fibre lasers and "conventional" CO2 lasers, the BBW Lasertechnik GmbH in Prutting, Upper Bavaria, tackles cutting, drilling, inscribing and welding tasks. More...

Measure Surfaces and Layer Thicknesses Even More Economically with the New Optical Sensor CHRocodile S

As well-performing as it is economical, we present you with the newest generation of distance, topography and thickness measurement systems from Precitec Optronik. With the CHRocodile S, our company expands its well-established series of opto-electronic sensors in the market.

This new, non-contact measurement system offers surface measurements with a precision of 30 nm and a resolution of 3 nm all at an unprecedented economical value.

And the new sensor will also impress you with its unique performance features. Surfaces with rapidly changing reflective properties will be reliably measured at the high rate of 2,000 measurements/ second, without adjustment, interrupted production or additional calibration. And it doesn't matter whether you're dealing with highly reflective, polished, matte-black or transparent materials.

CHRocodile S is an ideal solution for invariable or variable applications, inline or offline. The high aperture of our optical probes further enhances the level of quality generated by the sensor's automatic brightness adjustment.

A long-life diode serves as the light source for measurement in the new system. This, together with the conscious decision to avoid using moving parts in the electronics and sensing heads, makes CHRocodile S practically maintenance free.

We were even able to do without a cooling fan, as used in classical constructions. This allows the measurement system to show its strengths both in the clean room and in the raw production environment.

CHRocodile S can process both trigger and encoder signals. Synchronization with external devices or integration into the process controls of a production facility is easily achieved using high-performance interfaces (RS232, RS 422, USB, analog).

With its highly compact housing, the device can be used on a table-top, easily integrated into machines or very easily mounted in control cabinets.

CHRocodile S offers significant advantages for users in industry and research

• Inline- and offline-control of material thickness, topography and roughness with high precision, resolution and speed
• High performance, i.e. surfaces with rapidly changing reflective properties (from matte to reflective or transparent) are precisely and automatically captured without additional adjustment
• Non-contact measurement that does not damage the surface
• Chromatic and interferometric distance and thickness measurement in one device
• Practically maintenance-free
• Can be used both in a clean room and in a raw production environment
• Easy to integrate in your production process
• Especially favorable price/performance ratio

All in all, an idea that adds up:

• Meets established, high standards of quality
• Avoids shut-downs
• Increases the economical operation of a production facility
• Rapid equipment amortization

He welds seams that are exactly positioned and only as wide as necessary!

Welding variable joint positions is a challenge which not every welding head can master. The tools of choice here are intelligent welding heads. They measure the position of the joint in order to place the weld seam at the correct position. Every welding task also requires a spot size that is adapted to the application - and the effective width of the laser beam can be flexibly optimised from one seam to another, ensuring a stable process. The weld seam width is thus only as wide as necessary, enabling the highest possible welding speeds.

On the fair SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN Precitec shows for the first time the YW52 high power Welding Head with integrated WobbleTracker. All his functions are fully integrated into the new YW52 welding head, without the need for additional external sensors, cameras or external linear positioning.

At the LASER exhibition, Precitec presented various new and further developments from the laser cutting and joining technology sectors. The good quality of contacts as well as the occured customer talks made this a successful event for the company.

In the area of laser cutting technology products belong to it for the micro processing and for 2D and 3D solid-state applications. For the laser welding the modular YW52 welding head was introduced for the first time. The head can be extended by pre-process, in-process and post-process monitoring moduls and is suitable for all solid-state lasers.

Generally the combination of quality monitoring systems and processing heads provides a complete solution for highly-automated processing. Here Precitec offers various application-specific options, which can be easily integrated into all industrial standard equipment concepts.

Precision cutting with lasers
Finest contours - smooth cutting surfaces - no further processing necessary

Outstanding beam quality and high-quality optical components are a prerequisite for the manufacture of parts with complex geometry which are becoming ever-smaller and finer. Clearance widths of 10 µm were a few years ago unachievable - but today this is simply state-of-the-art for Precitec.

The system comprises online monitoring by means of a camera. Coaxial, adjustable Led's provide optimal illumination even during cutting, enabling perfect setting of the cutting process. The time required for readjustment after a nozzle, lens or protective window change can be significantly shortened by overlaying electronic crosshairs - and post-adjustment is no longer necessary, since the lens itself can be adjusted under pressure. The system can be configured for wavelengths of 355 nm, 1030 to 1090 nm and 1552 nm.

The precision cutting system is for instance applied for the manufacturing of stents. These small, grid-shaped vascular supports in tubular form are used in medical technology for expanding constricted coronary vessels. The clock and watch industry and the precision engineering sector also use high-precision parts cut by Precitec FS heads.

2D and 3D laser cutting with solid-state lasers

The new HP SSL Cutting Head is ideal for the use in flat bed systems and pipe-cutting machines with fibre-coupled lasers and laser power up to 6 kW. Modelled on the design of the successful and reliable HP series, the HP SSL has integrated distance sensors with extremely durable stability and a monitored protective window cartridge, which extends the life of the optics. The piercing sensor integrated into the new model considerably accelerates the cutting process. Pre-programmed waiting times at the beginning of the cutting procedure are shortened - the cutting process can now start directly after piercing. Motorised focal position adjustment enables the cutting of different sheet thicknesses within the same cycle - manual intervention is no longer necessary. The replacement of lenses for various focal lengths is fast and easy thanks to preadjustable cartridges. The mechanical interface is also the same for all HP1.5" Cutting Heads and this enables simple changing between CO2 lasers and fibre-coupled solid-state lasers.

The YRC Cutting System is the result of Precitec's many years of experience in laser cutting. The fast-reacting distance sensors with integrated height adjustment guarantee constantly high cutting quality at high speeds - even in the case of complex moulded components. The lenses are dust-proof sealed and the optical path is completely sealed - an absolute prerequisite for long-life optical components.

The system is already used by well-known automotive companies, supply companies and job shops. The YRC system has a wide range of applications, including the cutting of holes in finished bodies and cross members of a vehicle or the cutting of hot-formed steel and hydro-formed profiles.

The new YW52 high-power Welding Head

The new high-power YW52 Welding Head was also presented for the first time at the LASER Exhibition. Based on the modular concept of the YW30 Welding Head, the YW52 is designed to operate with maximum aperture and minimal overall size and is suitable for use with fibre, disk or diode lasers in the high power segment. In the basic version, the head is inexpensively priced, and its range of functions can be expanded to match the requirements of customer-specific applications. All well-known pre-process, in-process and post-process modules by Precitec can be integrated for fully automated production. At the exhibition we show the integration of a YW52 in a Fronius hybrid welding head and in a laser grip head by ThyssenKrupp.

Quality-assured laser beam welding

The combination of quality monitoring systems and processing heads provides a complete solution for highly-automated processing. One example of Precitec's extensive experience in laser joining with concerted process assurance and monitoring of quality is the welding of powertrain parts with the SOUVIS® 5000 system. The inspection head can be automatically switched from the preceeding operation mode (for highly accurate control of the laser beam) to the succeeding measurement of the seam position and quality. Circumferential weld seams allow correlating the joint position to the seam position and therefore the system detects lack of fusion caused by faulty seam positioning even on seams with perfect appearance.

Yet another puzzle for safe quality monitoring

The Laser Welding Monitor LWM in-process quality monitoring system successfully measures the welding joint quality of over 600 industrial applications. The demands for total reliability in systems that detect welding defects are constantly increasing and the associated algorithms are continually being further developed. In industrial manufacturing, however, user-friendly operation is also very highly rated - and the newly developed PARAMETER ASSISTANT takes over the initial setting of the thresholds in accordance with operator input.

The operator no longer has to parameterize each individual seam, particularly for components with numerous seams, this is now fully automated. Fine settings and adjustments can still be carried out manually. In multi-seam applications, this software generates significant time and cost savings during commissioning of the process monitoring system and when changing welding parameters.

The new sensor CHRocodile S, with its modern design, represents the latest generation of optical distance and thickness measuring devices. It is applicable for highly accurate distance and topography measurements as well for measuring optically transparent materials (glass, films, varnish etc.). Its low price now enables customers of all budgets to benefit from the numerous advantages of the CHRocodile sensors.

Meet us at the trade fairs and discover the possibilities and advantages offered by the new CHRocodile S! Continue to the product...

CHRocodile S Infosheet: Download