San Francisco, CA - Ophir Photonics, a Newport Corporation brand in North Logan, UT, announced the newest version of BeamWatch at SPIE Photonics West 2014. BeamWatch is a non-contact, focus spot size and position monitor for very high power YAG and fiber lasers used in material processing applications, such as automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Because there is no contact with the laser beam, the system has no power restriction and has been successfully tested on high power lasers up to 100 kW.
BeamWatch now features an algorithm that optimizes the measurement window. This removes imprecise, manual judgments from the process and improves the overall precision of measurements.
Conventional measurement systems place a probe in the beam, causing potential damage and slowing the measurement process. It could take up to two minutes to gather data and characterize the beam. BeamWatch is a system that instantly and accurately measures laser parameters without requiring contact with the laser beam. The system makes a set of complete measurements at camera update rates, measuring the Rayleigh scatter caused by the beam. This provides instant readings of focus spot size and beam position, as well as dynamic measurements of focal plane location during process start-up.
BeamWatch monitors high power YAG, disc, fiber and diode lasers in the 980 to 1080 nm range. The system takes measurements of the beam at frequent intervals without having to shut down the process or remove extensive tooling and fixtures. BeamWatch measures focal spot location at 60 ms intervals to indicate whether focal spot shifts are occurring during critical start-up moments.
BeamWatch Video: http://youtu.be/bsgWRUzQjJ4