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

A new combination of ceramics and nozzles leads to longer operating life and saves money.

More accurate cuts can be produced efficiently with the laser. An optimum process also depends on gas flow. Minimum turbulence only creates a small flow resistance, improves cut quality and reduces wear. In several development steps with cutting trials Precitec has significantly increased the flow rate through the cutting nozzle while keeping the cutting gas pressure constant. The new KT B CON ceramic part and the nozzles now have no "hard edges" and have a conical geometry. Thus the cutting gas pressure can be significantly reduced whilst giving the same cutting edge quality and the input pressure directly on the processing head can be reduced. Field tests with the new, considerably cheaper design have also shown an increased working range for the focal position. Dirt on the focussing lens and the associated focus shift can be detected with the larger process window and increase the operating life of the optics. With CO₂ cutting heads without a protective window in particular, this leads to considerable cost advantages.

Nick GmbH is banking on the new design
For over 20 years NICK has been producing customised solutions in the metal processing field. It processes aluminium, steel and stainless steel pipes, sheet metal and special profiles and manufactures individual components and standard parts for the office furniture industry, shop fitting and medical technology.

Mr. Philipp from NICK has already tested the new ceramic and nozzle combination on his laser cutting systems. He uses the HP1.5" cutting head.
You are already using the new ceramics and nozzles. Have you noticed anything different compared with the "old" components?

Mr. Philipp: "We have noticed that the operating life has been longer in spite of signs of wear. This has led to better error tolerance when cutting and to a larger process window. We had to replace the parts earlier before. The new ones can be used longer and still give the same cutting quality."

Did you have to make any changes to your equipment so that you could fit the new components?
Mr. Philipp: "We didn't have to do anything at all to the equipment. Everything went extremely well, with no problems, just as we have come to expect from Precitec. We could even reduce the gas pressure whilst keeping the same cutting parameters. This was not the case with other suppliers in the low-priced segment. Just the opposite in fact because it would have involved longer conversion and adjustment times."

Do you want to test the new, competitively-priced ceramic/ nozzle combination on your laser cutting equipment? Get in touch with us.

Precitec recently introduced the new HP SSL cutting head. This head is ideal for use in flat bed systems and pipe-cutting machines with fibre-coupled lasers. Modelled on the design of the successful and reliable HP series, the SSL has integrated distance sensors with extremely durable stability and a monitored protective window cartridge, which extends the life of the optics. Pre-adjustable cartridges enable ultra-fast replacement when cutting different workpiece thicknesses. You can also alternate between CO₂ and fibre-coupled laser sources very quickly, since the mechanical interface is identical with the other HP series processing heads. To ensure excellent beam quality, Precitec designed its own, very high-quality optical components and integrated them into this processing head. The HP SSL is legally approved for laser performances of up to 6 kW.

The enhancements incorporated into the HP1.5", like optimized design, gas flow, integrated pre-amplifier and sensor insert screws that no longer protrude were also adopted for this new concept. These enhancements have resulted in more comfortable handling and improved cutting characteristics.

Our online presence now also includes the Korean language. Given the steady demand and positive sales development, Precitec wants to speak directly to Korean customers via this expanded web presentation. Here users can be informed about current topics, industry events and new product developments. This is, since the foundation of Precitec Korea Co., Ltd., in Seoul in 2007, another step to maintain and intensify contact to the local laser machine builders and end customers.

Precitec will be present at the CIMT, China's most prestigious mechanical engineering exhibition held in Beijing from 6th to 11th April 2009 (stand E2-E202). The company thus emphasises the commitment it has shown so far in the region, hoping to intensify further its relationship with local laser machine manufacturers and end customers. Precitec will be supported by its subsidiary Precitec Shanghai Ltd. which is based in Beijing.

The Fine Cutting System with integrated camera monitoring can be used for high-precision applications which require laser performances of up to 500 W. Clearance widths of approximately 10 µm can be achieved with a high quality beam.

One new feature of the Fine Cutting system is its adjustable coaxial LED lighting with external power input, providing optimal illumination even during operation. It also has an optically-optimized monitoring system for online monitoring by camera. Documentation is possible too - camera data can be recorded and saved on a data storage medium. The TCP can be readjusted in the X/Y direction (repeatable operation) after an optics change and can thus be retained. The time required for readjustment after a nozzle, lens or protective window change can be significantly shortened by fading-in electronic cross-hairs. Even the actual design of the System has been minimised, reducing its weight. The System can be operated with disk, fibre optic and Nd:YAG lasers.

The Fine Cutting System can also be used for cutting stents; a stent is a very small, grid-shaped internal vascular expander in tubular form - it widens vasoconstrictions in the coronary vessels.

Stronger through Combined Forces - Customers Benefit from Joining Competencies

Precitec and Scansonic enhance their cooperation. Scansonic is the leading supplier of laser welding and brazing equipment with tactile seam tracking. Car bodies and other complex components in automotive manufacturing are the strongholds worldwide. Since 1971, Precitec is the leading solutions provider in the field of laser processing and serves the entire industry. Both companies now partner up and make use of their complementing strengths to supply customers with the best of both worlds.

Scansonic is going to market Precitec products in Russia and other CIS countries, where Scansonic has been active for several years and has already developed important customer relationships. In addition to selling the equipment, technical support and local service will be established in order to speed up the acceptance of the advanced technologies in the industrial sector of the target countries.

Precitec will be selling and supporting the laser brazing and welding products of Scansonic in Korea, North America and parts of China. These geographies are home to some of the biggest producers of automobiles in the world, and they are rapidly catching up with the modern laser manufacturing technologies first implemented in Germany. Market size in the targeted area opens up extraordinary opportunities for growth.

Both partners jointly develop an optimized product combining modular components and tactile seam tracking technology from Scansonic with Precitec's process monitoring for laser brazing and welding. The proven Precitec Laser Weld Monitor (LWM) as well as the seam inspection systems SGM and SOUVIS®5000 will be utilized. Customers benefit from the combination of the best available technologies for their demanding applications. The product with optimized technologies will be sold and supported by Precitec's team of experts.

At the 2008 EuroBLECH exhibition, Precitec presented various new and further developments as well as its existing systems from the laser cutting and joining technology sectors. The high amount and good quality of contacts made as well as the occured customer talks made this a successful event for the company - no sign of economic crisis here.

In the field of laser cutting, Precitec introduced a further development of its fine cutting system with integrated camera monitoring. This system has a laser performance of up to 500 W and is used for high-precision applications, like the cutting of stents. Clearance widths of approx. 10 µm can be realised with corresponding beam quality. The system comes with adjustable coaxial LED lighting, which provides optimal illumination even during the cutting process - and has an optically-optimized system for camera monitoring.

In turn, this enables cutting documentation, simply by recording and saving the camera data. The TCP is retained through adjustment of the X/Y focusing optics. The time required for readjustment after a nozzle, lens or protective window change can be significantly shortened by fading-in electronic cross-hairs. Access was enhanced as well as the system now is shorter.

Precitec also presented a brand-new design of its proven HP1.5" cutting head. The integrated cartridge replacement system was expanded by a contact-free cartridge detection device. Design-wise, there are now no more protruding screws on the sensor insert, the pre-amplifier was integrated and the gas flow is fully optimized - and it is also possible to use process monitoring as a combination of a piercing and lens fault sensor.

For the first time at the EuroBLECH, Precitec introduced the HP SSL cutting head. This head can be used in flatbed machines with fibre optical coupled lasers. Modelled on the design of the well-known and dependable HP series, it works with a monitored protective window cartridge and monitored replacement cartridges. The enhancements incorporated into the HP1.5", like optimized design, gas flow, integrated pre-amplifier and non-protruding sensor insert screws were also adopted for this concept.

Expanded product range for joining technology

Precitec's range of processing heads was extended with the addition of the uniquely compact YW30 welding head. Thanks to its extremely modular design, the customer can decide which form the application-specific configuration should take. The welding head is mainly suitable for fibre optic and disk lasers - and the basic version is very competitively priced. The company can also expand this system through the installation of modules with pre-process, in-process and post-process monitoring, making it absolutely ideal for use in fully automated production. In spite of its compact design, the YW30 welding head can be used for rugged laser performances of up to 6 kW.

Exhibition visitors also showed great interest in the SOUVIS® 5000 seam inspection system which was demonstrated on a robot. This system's main area of application is the inspection of welding and soldered seams based on image-processing technology. The SOUVIS® 5000 works with two types of illumination, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of geometrical data and surface characteristics of a joint patch or seam. A profile measurement thus takes place by means of light stripe technology, whereby three-dimensional information like the convexity and concavity of the seam is calculated. Even more characteristics are provided by a surface analysis based on the evaluation of a high-resolution grey image of the seam. To identify defective flaws like pores, the surface analysis uses three procedures which work in parallel: analyses of seam structure, pores and fissures.

Gaggenau, January 14, 2008 On December 21, 2007, the Precitec Group took over the 'vision' department and the SOUVIS© product family of Swiss company Soutec Soudronic AG. In future, it will operate under the name Precitec Vision and become another member of the globally operating Precitec Group. The merger of these two leading specialists for quality control in laser material processing, who have joined forces on a long-term basis with regard to competencies in image processing and quality control for welding applications, also creates new opportunities and chances of growth for their highly efficient customers.

'As a result of this spin-off of vision, we at Soutec have the opportunity to concentrate even more on our core business, system building and mechanical engineering, and to benefit from the additional experience of market leader Precitec in the field of image processing for seam track-ing and quality assurance, as well as to make use of the close cooperation to promote this technology,' says Bruno W. Kägi, CEO of Soutec Soudronic AG, the renowned market leader for highly qualified welding technologies and pioneering developments.

'For us, this is an important step in the history of Precitec,' Dr. Thilo Wersborg, Managing Partner of the Precitec Group, explains. 'With this takeover, we are positioning ourselves as the worldwide strongest partner for quality assurance in laser material processing. Our customers can now avail themselves of the complete range of operations with regard to fully integrated pre-, in- and post-solutions at the highest possible level for their challenging tasks, and all that under the same roof.' Joachim Schwarz, former Head of Division for sensors and image processing at Soutec Soudronic and now at Precitec Vision, adds, 'Our joint experience and the amalgamation our development efforts provides us and our customers with enormous potential for the future.'

Continuity is very important to the new subsidiary of the Precitec Group. 'Our customers can still count on the entire product range with our well-known SOUVIS© models for controlled welding-seam quality, as well as the experience of the former development group,' says Martin Halschka, former Head of Customer Projects at vision and now at Precitec Vision. Hence, the worldwide support of Precitec and SOUVIS© models is guaranteed at the high quality level our customers have come to expect from the local contact partners of the Precitec network.

Precitec Vision will continue to perform their activities in camera-based qualification of assembly connections from the same location in Neftenbach, Switzerland. They will work in close cooperation with the colleagues of the other Precitec locations and will be supported locally by Dr. Uwe Zoske, Sales Director of the Precitec Group.

Precitec is among the worldwide leading companies in laser system technology, and the Precitec Group has its own branch offices in Germany, the USA, Japan, France, China and Korea. Precitec takes over 100 percent of the vision department as well as all its employees. The company thus increases its development team to twice its former size in the inspection systems sector, gains another third of the market share in this line of business and continues to expand on its competency leadership.

Wixom, Michigan, September 13, 2007: In keeping with its global vision of "getting close" to its customers, Precitec has just opened a new research and testing laboratory in Wixom, Michigan. In recent years Precitec has expanded with acquisitions in the Far East and new offices in Europe. The new facility in the northwest suburbs of Detroit, Michigan's Automation Alley, reflects Precitec's commitment to the North American automotive market.

"We're here to stay. The new facility shows what we mean by partnership. We can pull up alongside those we serve and deliver immediate innovation and product support at a reasonable cost", said Robert Borgstrom, President of Precitec, at Precitec North America's gala grand opening last week.

The company can now offer more than local sales; it can provide true product development, technical consultation and testing to customers across all markets anywhere in North America.

Precitec is a global leader in laser systems technology with offices in Germany, Korea, Japan, China and now North America.

In the middle of June, Precitec participated in two interesting sector-specific exhibitions. The Blechexpo Trade Fair was supposed to be a test run the first time around - but it nevertheless took place in no less than the new exhibition centre in Stuttgart. Here Precitec focused on strengthening existing customer contacts.

At the Munich 'Laser' Exhibition, the company laid emphasis on the presentation of the welding system with integrated online process monitoring, pre-process monitoring, in-process monitoring and post-process monitoring. New developments in fine cutting and angle cutting were also introduced to visitors. Based on the many contacts made (above all initial contacts) and the excellent quality of the discussions, Precitec rates its presence at the Fair in Munich as being very successful.

The coaxial cladding head YC50 aroused a lot of interest, for example. Its main application is the laser deposit welding of pulverised additional materials with solid-state lasers, preferred for 2D applications. Typical YC50 applications are the repair welding work of expensive tools, the creation of wear-resistant surfaces and the manufacture of serial parts with special material properties. The YC50 has a slim-line design, thanks to its internal media supply of powder, cooling water and protective gas. This guarantees easy access to components - even those with complicated shapes. The integrated sensors monitor the laser beam power entering the cladding head and the temperature radiation of the melt pool. The coaxial cladding head is also available as a deposit welding head with a 4-beam nozzle for treating large areas or for carrying out deposit welding in extreme and unavoidable positions (YC50 4W). This head can also be used for CO2 applications on 2D gantry systems (YC50 CM).

The company also introduced a further development of its processing head for fine cutting applications - with camera monitoring. This head is characterised by its slim design and its small, compact structure. Used for high-precision applications, it has a laser performance of up to 500 W and can be used for e.g. cutting stents. With appropriate beam quality, this fine-cutting head will enable clearances of 10µm and less. At the time of writing, this processing head is available with focal lengths of 50 mm. and 80 mm. Camera monitoring with integrated lighting is possible for Nd:YAG applications.

In June, Precitec will be present at two interesting fairs. At Blechexpo, held from 13th to 16th June in Stuttgart, a variety of eagerly awaited innovative laser cutting technology products will be demonstrated to visitors. Special attention will be paid to new developments in the fields of fine cutting, bevel cutting and cutting of thick sheets for example. It goes without saying that the tried and tested welding quality monitoring system will also be presented to the interested public.

At the Munich Laser fair, held from 18th to 21st June, Precitec will focus on laser welding products and present further developments of its existing laser systems with integral online, pre-process, in-process and post-process monitoring functionality.

Precitec continues to expand in Asia. With the creation of Precitec Korea Co. Ltd. on April 1st 2007, we enhance our presence on the Korean market, which shows an increasing demand for high-tech laser products. One of our German support engineers disposing of long-time experience with the Precitec products will train and assist our Korean team on site from July 1st 2007. This cooperation ensures the optimum consulting and support of the local customers with the worldwide known Precitec Service.

A flexible laboratory setup is indispensable - and above all during the development stage of new products and in production control. Precitec has always been able to fall back on a great number of test benches and testing devices. The measurement of pressure resistance, impermeability and flow rates are all an integral part of operations. There are also test benches available for sensor testing, characteristic curve selection and EMC testing devices. In addition to lens setting and positioning equipment, it is also possible to check so-called lens wobbling in case of pressure surges.

A laser testing laboratory has now been set up in order to meet the ever-growing demands for reliability in all Precitec components. Here it is mainly new products that are stringently tested for quality during various cutting and welding procedures. As the time of writing, setups are being implemented for the further development of systems like e.g. welding process monitoring, lighting tests and for studies on the cable management of robot applications. The laser laboratory is also used for carrying out feasibility studies for customer projects and the test equipment will be utilised for exhibition appearances and customer demonstrations.

Precitec, the world's leading supplier of laser cutting and welding heads, now also has a subsidiary in China, in Beijing and Shanghai. This new company underlines Precitec's commitment in China. Due to the strong growth of the Chinese economy and the future potential that the Chinese market possesses, Precitec hopes that this new company will establish still more intensive contacts with Chinese laser equipment manufacturers and end customers.

Precitec already has companies in Japan, the USA and France as well as representatives in various countries in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Until today, the Precitec group of companies has been supported by Dr. Wirth Machinery Co., Ltd. More information you will find here.

Precitec presented various new and further developments at the latest LASER - World of Photonics Exhibition. The many contacts made and the outstanding professional level of discussions with existing and prospective customers made this event extremely positive for the company.

In the laser cutting sector, Precitec introduced a new development - a processing head for fine cutting applications. It is characterised by its slim design and its small, compact structure. Used for high-precision applications, this processing head has a laser performance of up to 500 W. Thanks to its extremely short focal length and high-quality lenses, focal points of less than 10 mm are possible, depending on laser quality. More...

...and for the CO2 applications sector, the new Lens Crack Sensor evoked much interest. This sensor detects damage to the lens and larger amounts of spatter, thereby targeting the prevention of further damage and soiling of the processing area caused by the destruction of the lens. The lens fault sensor is already integrated into Precitec's newer cutting heads. It can, however, be fitted to earlier model cutting heads as well.

The HP1.5 cutting head, previously only used in CO2 applications, can now also be put to use in fibre-coupled laser cutting applications - all it takes is a simple lens cartridge change and a collimator.

Great interest was also shown in Precitec's laser welding products - and one of the main attractions was "System Concept YW50", developed for the Nd:YAG sector. This processing head is used for laser beam build-up welding and for GMA laser hybrid and remote welding. Additionally integrated sensors and camera systems are used for monitoring the welding process. These create security - with the result that the effort involved in taking random samples, and the losses caused by defective serial production can now be reduced.

In the contact-free measuring technology sector, the Precitec Optronik GmbH, subsidiary of Precitec KG, presented the measuring system "CHRocodile". This is eminently suitable for topographic surveys, determining glass thicknesses and contact-free layer thickness measurement. Applications are found in automotive construction and in the glass, plastics and semiconductor industries.

Precitec will further emphasise its existing commitment in China by exhibiting at CIMT, the most important exhibition for the mechanical engineering industry, held from 11th to 17th April 2005 in Beijing. Currently the Chinese economy is growing strongly with high potential for the future of the Chinese market and Precitec expects to further intensify its business relationships with local laser machine manufacturers.

Precitec, the world's leading supplier of laser cutting and welding heads, will present new developments and enhancements to existing products on a joint German stand (Stand 1D / 314). The company will be supported by Dr. Wirth Machinery Co., Ltd., PRC, Precitec's representative in China with offices in Shanghai and Beijing.

At this year's EuroBLECH Exhibition, Precitec unveiled their new system for GMA laser hybrid welding. Laser hybrid welding ideally combines the high welding speed of laser welding with the high fusion performance of the GMA process. The advantages of this system for the user are high-speed welding, the ability to span large gaps and a low degree of distortion. All GMA components form an efficient combination of laser and arc welding and have the added benefit of being compact in design.

Both processes complement each other in operation but can still be controlled separately. This enables the whole process to be easily optimised by adjusting procedure-specific parameters. GMA laser hybrid welding is typically used in automotive construction, shipbuilding, railway vehicle construction, the steel industry and tank and plant construction. The materials involved for these applications are various steels and aluminium alloys.

The processing head has been designed with high outputs for GMA laser hybrid welding and is used in industrial series production. It will comfortably meet all demands placed on it. It has a compact, lightweight design and enables the monitoring of the welding process thanks to its sensors integrated in the welding head. These sensors control the temperature of the welding head and the protective window - they also monitor the contamination level of the window. Integrated measuring of laser performance provides information on possible reductions in the laser beam supply. The welding process can also be monitored by means of the laser welding monitor sensors integrated into the head (plasma, temperature, back reflection). This is invaluable in ascertaining the quality of the weld seam.

The focusing optics are protected by a protective window and a high-performance Cross Jet. Gas and water cooling hoses are situated inside the welding head, providing an unrestricted working area. All the necessary connections are located centrally in the upper part of the head and are protected by a connecting flange.

The numerous new and advanced product developments that Precitec presented at this year's 2004 EuroBlech Exhibition helped make the event a resounding success for the company. One highlight was the simulation of laser cutting, laser welding and automated adhesive application on a robot.

Laser cutting
Precitec presented the Form Cutter to the laser cutting sector. Developed especially for robot applications, this system features the absolutely precise cutting of pre-programmed contours. The movement of five or more robot axes will be done by the Form Cutter during the cutting of two-dimensional figures. As the materials moved are relatively small compared with a multi-axes processing unit, even a curve with a very tight radius can be cut at high speed - and with impressive contour accuracy. The unit consists of an X/Y positioning mechanism, a linear Z drive, a cutting head with integrated distance sensors and software for system programming.

Laser welding
The steady rise in the amount of laser welding being carried out nowadays has increased the need for efficient process monitoring systems. These systems generate reliability, with the result that the effort involved in taking random samples, and losses made due to defects in serial production can now be considerably reduced. The optical seam tracking system Laser Path Finder LPF recognises deviations between the programmed track and the actual track of the weld seam and positions the welding tool correctly on the seam. The LWM sensors incorporated into the processing head also monitor the welding process, enabling weld seam quality analysis.

Automated adhesive application
The detection of imperfections in the applied adhesive and the monitoring of width, height and the cross-sectional area of the glue bead both serve to increase process safety in serial production. These tasks are performed by the new Glue Bead Monitor GBM. Its camera can be set up easily at each dispensing unit. The camera itself has the ability to pinpoint very small measurements and is insensitive to secondary light.

The exhibition also played host to Precitec's first-ever presentation of the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMA) Laser Hybrid Welding System. Laser hybrid welding combines the high speed of laser welding with the high fusion performance of the GMA process. Advantages for the user are high-speed welding, the ability to span large gaps and a low degree of distortion. All the GMA components form an efficient combination of laser and arc welding and have the added benefit of being compact in design.

The company also demonstrated the YC50 cladding head at the exhibition. One typical YC50 application is the laser beam deposit welding of additional pulverised materials with Nd:YAG, fibre and diode lasers. An internal media supply of powder, cooling water and protective gas enabled a slim-line design to be realised. This in turn guarantees easy access to components- even those with complicated shapes. The integrated sensors monitor the laser beam power entering the cladding head and the temperature radiation of the melt pool.

Precitec, Inc. is pleased to announce The Chrocodile, chromatic coded distance and thickness sensor is now available in the US. The Chrocodile sensor performs precise distance and thickness measurements and was developed in Rodgau Germany by a sister company, Precitec Optronik (formerly known as Jurca).

The chromatic coded principle utilizes chromatic length aberration of a specialized lens to measure distance and thickness. Due to the independence of surface properties nearly all materials can be measured. Typical applications are topographic measurement systems as well as inline production use. It is in use by the automotive, semiconductor, electronic, optical, and glass industries.

The Chrocodile or CHR 150E also works as a white light interferometer. In this mode it is possible to measure transparent film thickness between 2 microns and 250 microns optical thickness of single and multiple layers like functional coatings, varnish, or foil adhesive systems.

For more information, contact:
Susan Sprentall
248-446-8100 x 20
email: susans@precitec.com

For laser cutting and laser welding Precitec offers various collimators to connect the relevant fiber optic cable. The collimators are available in various focal lengths depending on the beam divergence. All water guiding parts of the integrated, efficient working cooling device are made of stainless steel.

Cladding is a procedure where the workpiece's properties are adapted to meet the component's subsequent load requirements by depositing additional materials locally. This procedure improves the resistance to wear or the corrosion properties of a component or component area, for example. The application can be carried out in such a way that the workpiece is coated, alloyed or dispersed.

Precitec offers the compact and modular YC50 processing head for this. The coaxial powder supply integrated into the head ensures that the processing result does not depend on the traverse direction. A comprehensive range of powder nozzles makes it possible to adapt the powder guide to different powder sizes and applications.

By adjusting the powder nozzle it is possible to work both in the laser beam focus and in the off-focus laser beam zone. The track widths can thus be adapted gradually to different applications.

Areas of application include, for example, applying wear-resistant layers to turbine blades, repairing injection moulded tools that are worn or show workmanship defects and deposit welding for producing complex 3D components in tool, automotive and aircraft construction.

The cladding head features the properties below:

• Slim design due to internal media guide
• Integral water cooling system
• Protective window cartridge
• Protective window control
• Process sensors
• Replaceable powder nozzles.

The use of integral media guides for powder, cooling water and protective gas resulted in a slim design in the area of the powder and laser beam outlets. Therefore, it is possible to easily access components with a complicated structure.

In addition to this, the YC50 cladding head has a protective window cartridge so that the protective window can be replaced quickly and easily. The integral protective window control indicates when the protective window must be replaced in good time.

The cladding head can also be equipped with process monitoring sensors available as an option. These sensors monitor the laser power entering the YC50 and the weld pool's temperature radiation. When used in combination with the LWM Laser Welding Monitor, a system is available with which processes can be documented and monitored.

The cladding head can be easily converted into the welding head YW50 by replacing the powder guide with a Cross Jet. A laser processing machine can thus be operated using one processing head for cladding and welding.

In October 2003, Precitec KG, worldwide supplier of cutting and welding processing heads for sophisticated laser beam applications partnered with A.B.Esse sas in Italy.

In the future, this company will be Precitec's accredited service partner serving end customers in Italy. Both companies believe that this will enable them to strengthen their support for this customer group by providing up-to-date know-how locally.

With a host of new products and an improved portfolio Precitec enjoyed a highly successful Laser 2003.

In laser cutting Precitec launched the new Nd:YAG cutting head Y 30/22. Developed specifically for robot applications, the head is exceptionally slim. It also provides an integral drive for gap-regulation, internal media supply, and sensors which can monitor a variety of parameters.

The increasing use of laser welding is driving the demand for efficient process control systems. Such systems ensure a high standard of production security, reducing the time and effort required to take random samples and the losses incurred by faulty production to a minimum.

Launched several years ago, the Laser Welding Monitor LWM is used for online control of welding parameters in mass production. The system has now been upgraded and many additional functions have been optimised. For instance, the measuring data can be pre-processed by selecting filters, which greatly improves the statistical evaluation of the signals. The system now runs under Windows 2000, allowing it to be integrated in internal company networks.

Process control detectors have been integrated in the new slim-line processing heads of Precitec's YW50 series, thus further reducing unit sizes. The internal optical path in the welding head is used for signal input.

These detectors can also be used for CO2 laser welding applications. They can be integrated as external or internal units in production lines. If the sensors are mounted directly in the optical path a diamond-turned scraper mirror is used for the signal input. This directs some of the process beams reflected from the beam line to sensors where they are spectrally broken down and directed to integrated plasma and temperature detectors.

At the show Precitec also presented the YC50 cladding head which was developed for laser build-up welding with powder materials. Media supply lines for powder, cooling water and inert gas have been integrated in the head, giving the system a very compact size and facilitating utilisation for components with complex shapes. Integrated sensors monitor the laser beam output and the heat given off by the smelting bath.

The Laser Path Finder LPF optical seam tracking system is used for detecting deviations between programmed and actual weld seams; it also ensures that the welding tool is always accurately positioned. The complete system consists of the seam tracking sensor, correction axes and the evaluation platform including software.

On 11th July 2003 it was ready at last! The extension at the Precitec company site in Gaggenau was officially opened.

A large number of guests from the world of politics and business attended this celebration. Mr. Rezzo Schlauch, in his capacity as a medium-ranking representative of the Federal red-green coalition government, talked in his speech of "Sending out a positive message". Because in the prevailing economic climate in Germany, such events are becoming less and less common.

The Head of the Technology and Energy Policy Department at the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dr. Armin Tschermak von Seysenegg, reminded us in his speech that Precitec had made its mark as early as 1994 with the regional Innovation prize. Since then it has continued to amaze us with its "stunning growth rate".

Even the mayor, Michael Schulz, called this a special day. This newly-opened building signalled not only a "step to ensure the future" of the company but also "a profession of faith in the Gaggenau site".

The new building extends the usable area by 45%. Offices have been installed in the upper floor, the extended mechanics workshop on the lower floor. In addition, a logistics hall was included in the new building for deliveries and storage. A covered bridge connects the new building and the existing building.

Since July 1, 2003, Jurca Optoelektronik GmbH & Co. KG, Rodgau, has operated under the name of Precitec Optronik GmbH. The new name is to demonstrate to the public the company's affiliation to the group of companies with Precitec KG, Gaggenau, being the parent company, in a much stronger way than before. The company's new name does not affect its main line of business which includes camera-based process control systems and optical distance measuring technology.

Since mid 2002 Dr. Wirth Machinery Co. Ltd., PRC, is Precitec's representative in China, with subsidiaries in Shanghai and Beijing. Currently the Chinese economy is growing strongly with high potential for the future of the Chinese market and Precitec expects another growth stimulus from this.

The co-operation, which is still at its initial stages, is already showing the first signs of success. We have been able to establish promising contacts with local laser machine manufacturers. Some orders have already been fulfilled. Another highlight of Precitec's new commitment in China is that we will be exhibiting at CIMT, China's most important exhibition for the mechanical engineering industry, to be held in Beijing from 16th to 22nd April, 2003.

December 31, 2002 - American Laser Enterprises, Inc. (ALE) announces that it will join forces with Precitec, Inc. to offer OEM components and systems for industrial laser cutting and welding systems. This relationship gives customers an extensive product line with over 30 years of worldwide history and solutions for laser material processing.

Mr. Don Sprentall, President of American Laser Enterprises, stated: "We are pleased to join forces with Precitec, the world's leading manufacturer and most prestigious supplier in the industry of electronic components. Combining Precitec electronics with the ALE modular components will provide an alternative solution for our customers.

Dr. Benno Wersborg, Precitec, KG, stated: "Precitec is pleased to have Don Sprentall, a veteran in the laser industry sharing knowledge to stimulate growth and additional products for the market.

American Laser Enterprises, Inc. - a consulting and engineering services organization providing technical and manufacturing advice to laser equipment OEMs, system integrators, industrial supply distributors, welding supply distributors, and end users. The Company focuses on providing consulting and engineering services for system upgrades, retrofits, and applications for new and used systems. American Laser Enterprises offers training, technical and manufacturing advice to organizations growing in the laser equipment industry or advancing in the technology to OEM customers. For more information about American Laser Enterprises, visit the web site at www.americanlaserenterprises.com.

The extension finished in just five months

Fortunately it wasn't a topping out ceremony in the normal sense. We were not only celebrating the completion of the improved shell but also at the same time putting on a Christmas celebration for the staff. This was, as it were, a thank-you to all those involved with the building for completing it so quickly and for ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

The new building will increase the usable floor space at the Gaggenau site by 2000 square metres. Laboratories and offices will be accommodated in the upper floor and the extended mechanical workshop will move into the basement. In addition, a logistics hall was included in the new building for deliveries and storage. The move into the new building is planned for next Spring.

The trade fair FabTech 2002 provides the company Precitec with direct contact to many regional customers. Traffic was brisk with people inquiring about Precitec laser cutting products as well as wanting information on welding heads and weld monitor systems. Several customers expressed a significant interest in the retrofit program wanting to get formal quotes from which they would place their upgrade orders. Others discussed their laser processing issues some bringing parts from which we discussed how laser cutting or welding could benefit them and what their next steps would be to bringing laser processing to their specific part.

The booth space was a last minute thing. Put together only with and through the cooperation of our representative American Laser Spares and their association with LaserCut, Inc. If it were not for these two companies, Precitec would not have had the opportunity to exhibit. The laser industry is comparitively small when viewed against most other industries, such a cooperative effort says a great deal about how we can work together to bring today's benefits of laser processing to the end user. Afterall, it is the end user that must benefit from our product. Again, I thank both American Laser Spares and LaserCut, Inc. for a great show!

Written by Tim Heston

Case one - You have a laser that's been a workhorse for the past decade, but today a job comes in requiring no contact with the material. How should you process this work? It is a big opportunity for continued work, perhaps with a new customer. Should you invest in a new machine or retrofit the one you have? Your machine has been paid off for many years: Minimal downtime, minimal scrap, and maximum material utilization and you know it backwards and forwards.

Case two - A job comes in to cut especially sensitive thin-gauge aluminium; the material might have slight discontinuities, folds and ripples. This means your current tactile sensor may not be the best choice for this application, and you may need better repeatability than what your current tactile cutting head can give you.

Case three - You may need to improve your changeover time between materials from aluminium to stainless or mild steel.

Case four - Perhaps a job requires high-pressure cutting, and your head just simply can't cut it.

Written by Cliff Ankersen

IMPROVE PROCESSING RESULTS BY RETROFITTING A TACTILE SENSING SYSTEM WITH A CAPACITIVE HEIGHT SENSING SYSTEM

Do you have a flatbed laser sheet-cutting machine equipped with a tactile sensor? In the early days of laser cutting, you had only the choice of "tactile" (contact) height sensors or the purely manual method of trying to locate the work beneath the cutting head. The manual method worked, albeit with manual effort and attention. The more automated "tactile" method used a height-sensing mechanism to maintain focus height relative to the surface of the work. This was improvement from the manual approach, and, therefore, people migrated away from the pure manual method to the tactile sensor mechanisms.

Incorporating existing technology and development of new components has brought this new cutting head into existence. Designed for Nd:YAG laser cutting from the inside out in close tight areas such as mounting holes or location holes in hydroformed subassemblies.

Read more...

By developing the CO2-laser cutting head HP2" M a smaller, particularly weight-reduced version with a maximum lens diameter of 1.5" has been created. Like the other models of the HP line the new HP1.5" M is also equipped with Precitec's proven cartridge system. Apart from the integrated non-contact distance sensor technology and the motor-controlled focal position adjustment by Precitec additional sensors were integrated into the new system for the automation of the cutting process with lasers.

Read more...

Directed Light, Inc. (DLI) has signed a non-exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with Precitec, Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers of component parts for laser cutting and welding equipment.

Under the terms of the agreement, Directed Light, the nation's largest distributor of replacement components for industrial CO2 and Nd:YAG laser systems, will offer Precitec's line of cables, nozzles, electronic laser products, and retrofit upgrade packages throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"We are delighted to partner with such a prestigious supplier to the industry, "said Cliff Ankersen, N.A. Sales/Marketing, Precitec, Inc. " This agreement opens new doors for Precitec as we always look to provide the finest components to our customers. This is an important strategic move for us as we expand our reach throughout North America. We chose to work with Directed Light because of their solid reputation and their broad range of technical expertise in the laser industry."

Precitec is a worldwide company based in New Hudson, Michigan with its corporate headquarters, Precitec, Kg, located in Gaggenau, Germany. The firm develops, produces, and markets innovative systems for industrial laser process control applications. It also is known for producing optoelectronics, as well as precision mechanical and electro-mechanical components.

Directed Light, Inc. provides manufacturing and technical consulting services to laser equipment OEMs, system integrators, industrial supply distributors, welding supply distributors, and end users. DLI product lines include spare parts for optics and optical assemblies, manifold assemblies, gas jet tips, tip retainers and extensions, spacer blocks, lenses, and other assorted laser equipment spare parts.

Please visit Directed Light on their website at www.directedlight.com

By Tim Heston, Managing Editor

You have a laser that's been a workhorse for the past decade, but today a job comes in requiring no contact with the material. Should you invest in a new system or retrofit?

You've had a laser in your shop for many years. It's paid for, and it's been a workhorse: Minimal downtime, minimal scrap, and maximum material utilization. And you know it backwards and forwards.

Then a job comes in using especially sensitive thin-gauge aluminum; the material might have slight discontinuities, folds and ripples. This means your current tactile sensor may not be the best choice for this application, and you may need better repeatability than what this cutting head can give you. Or, you may need to improve your changeover time between materials from aluminum to stainless or mild steel. Or, perhaps a job requires higher-pressure cutting, and your head just simply can't cut it. For these and other reasons, it may be time for a retrofit.

On June 19 the construction works for the extension building of Precitec KG will be started by a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony.

Due to the wide expansion of the last years Precitec was threatened by acute spacial capacity limits. Just during the years 1999 and 2000, the staff expanded by about 40 %. At present, 85 employees are engaged in Gaggenau, tendency further increasing. The new building contributes to a secure future of the enterprise. In order to be able to guarantee a further growth of the existing business segments as well as the expansion into new fields of activity the new building is up for construction.

At present, the enterprise has a working area of approx. 2500 m2, further 2000 m2 shall arise with the new two-storied building. Among others, a covered area for delivery as well as laboratories and offices on the upper floor will be placed there. On the basement, the extension of the mechanical workshop is realized. A connection between the old and the new building is effected via a covered bridge.

The problem of limited parking space is already solved. In the beginning of this year 40 new parking lots have been added.

All together, the site measures approx. 2 hectares. For the building just a partition of this area will be used. In expectation of a continuing good development of the business a further expansion is possible within the framework of the overall plan.

On the Welding Show 2002, Precitec presented numerous innovations for the welding with lasers which were expected with eagerness.

For this welding procedure, Precitec offers an extensive product range. Counted among it are laser cutting heads for Nd:YAG- and CO2- cutting applications, Cross Jet for spatter protection of the focusing mirror as well as control systems which contribute to the implementation of the laser cutting process with controlled quality.

As fair innovation the miniaturized welding head YW20 which is intended for the fine welding of components with very small dimensions, the welding head SP50 R for CO2-lasers as well as the redirecting unit SU50 N for a high precision beam guidance were presented

Customers' interest was most stimulated by the Laser Welding Monitor which is used for quality control and the Laser Path Finder used for the optical seam tracking. In order to control the physical state of the zone of interaction online the Laser Welding Monitor contains several sensors which work within different wavelength ranges. The signals of the current production are compared with a saved reference curve. The determined deviations are used to calculate the occurrence probability of a significant welding error in real time. The LWM is suited for serial production only. The optical seam tracking system Laser Path Finder LPF which has been presented in action is intended to detect the position of the seam and to position the welding tool with high accuracy.

Due to 400 contacts the fair has been very successful for Precitec. Most of the visitors came from Japan.

Accurate dosage in automated glue processing is problematic because of the unsteadiness of the two connecting parts. To be able to guarantee the seal and adhesive function of a joint it must be possible to generate a constant bead shape for the glue through a constant routed glue dosage. The Precitec Inductive Sensor System will give this control across both simple and complex shapes working to an accuracy of better than +/- 0.2mm.

The Precitec System can overcome problems caused in both the following situations. Where the distance between the glue nozzle and the work piece is too big and excess glue is forced out of the joints causing additional follow on work to remove. Where the distance between the work piece and the nozzle is too small resulting in the sealer bead being too flat and not having a round cross section. The glue mass in this case is not sufficient to give a 100% warranty of the joints due to the possibility of humidity seeping onto the joint and causing corrosion

Precitec, world-wide supplier of equipment for laser processing machines, presented a complete range of products for laser welding and cutting during the exhibition Laser 2001.

The welding with lasers offers different advantages over conventional welding processes as e. g. the small heat-affected zone or the option of deep-welding. This is the reason why in the field of the industry more and more laser welding applications are successfully realized.

Precitec offers different components for this process - welding heads, cross jets, control systems - which help to get the laser welding process better handled. To that belongs e .g. the Laser Welding Monitor LWM for the "online" monitoring of welding parameter. But also the high power Nd:YAG laser welding head YW 50 with integrated sensorics was presented during the exhibition Laser. This head includes an integrated protection window supervision as well as the temperature control of the housing. Samples of this welding head are available beginning of September 2001. Furthermore the optical seam tracker with automatic path pre-correction were presented on the exhibition Laser 2001.

In the cutting sector you were able to see a possibility, how the adjusted parameter of the components of Precitec can be controlled, saved or changed over a network e. g. a central control center.