Laser processing facilities

One of the highest-powered single mode fibre lasers currently installed in the UK. The most versatile and customisable option within the product line is the YLS series fibre laser. Developed as a complete system, this design features the widest range of fibre diameters, the option to terminate to up to six ports from one power source, and the ability to upgrade.

Specification:

• Power: 100 - 1kW (CW)
• Wavelength: 1070-1080nm
• M2: 1.1-1.2
• Beam moderate rate: up to 5kHz
• Beam delivery: Optical fibre (10m, 14μm core diameter)
• CNC system: linear motor table (up to 4m/s speed).

The IPEX 848 Industrial excimer lasers can be used for precision applications in electronics, telecommunications, semiconductor, medical devices and pulsed laser deposition.

Specification:

• Average power: 80W
• Wavelength: 248nm (KrF)
• Pulse width: 8-15ns
• Pulse energy: 450mJ
• Repetition rate: 0-200Hz
• Applications: Micro-machining, surface cleaning, thin film deposition, ablation.

The direct diode laser series LDL is available from Laserline in several ranges offering different beam qualities and laser output powers of 150W to 10,000W. Despite its high power, the diode laser head is no larger than a shoebox and weighs only 18kg. The laser head is equipped with optics, such as those required for hardening and welding applications, and is positioned directly in the processing area in production. The spot can be adjusted to suit different applications by simply changing the processing optics. The laser head can often be equipped with a removable fibre connector and, consequently, can be used with or without laser light cable.

Specification:

• Optical power: 1500 watts CW
• Wavelengths: 808nm + 940nm
• Minimum spot size: 0.9 x 1mm2 (FWHM) at focal length F=100mm
• Beam delivery: 5m optical fibre with 1mm core diameter NA=0.2 circular beam diameter 1mm at focal length of 80mm
• Applications: surface treatment (hardening, cleaning, alloying, cladding, particle bonding and melting), welding, concrete cutting, metal deposition, metal forming, paint stripping, concrete decontamination and rapid additive manufacturing etc.

The IMPACT 3150HP is a high-power, short-pulse CO2 laser for surface layer removal and cleaning, non-destructive testing and photochemistry.

Specification:

• Average power: 300W
• Wavelength: 10.6μm
• Pulse width: 0.1 to 2μs
• Pulse energy: 2J
• Repetition rate: 0-150Hz
• Applications: Micro-machining, surface cleaning, thin film deposition, ablation.

IPG's YLR series represents a new generation of diode-pumped CW Ytterbium fibre laser systems of near infrared spectral range (1060-1080nm) with a unique combination of high power, ideal beam quality, fibre delivery and high wall-plug efficiency.

Specifications:

• Power: 50– 500W (CW)
• Wavelength: 1070-1080nm
• M2: 1.1-1.2
• Beam moderate rate: up to 5kHz
• Beam delivery: Optical fibre (10m, 14μm core diameter)
• CNC system: 3 Axis Galvanometer.

Diode pumped Nd:YAG

An acousto-optically switched, 400-Watt diode pumped Nd:YAG DPSS laser system. High average powers are produced, at the fundamental frequency of operation, via modular cavity design based around a standard gain module configuration. The system is based on the industrially proven AO4 oscillator, amplified in a power oscillator, power amplifier configuration.

Specification:

• Average power: 10-400W
• Wavelength: 1064nm
• Pulse: 30-200ns
• Pulse energy: 8-50mJ
• Repetition rate: 3-35kHz
• Applications: Micro-machining, cutting, surface cleaning and drilling.

Spectron 100W SLC series is a sealed DC-excited CO2 laser with unparalleled beam quality, efficiency and longevity.

Specification:

• Average power: 100W CO2 laser
• Computer controlled: X-Y galvanometer beam scanner
• CAD/CAM software for surface marking /engraving
• Applications: fine cutting, marking, engraving, surface cleaning.

Specifications:

• Wavelength: 1064nm, 532nm
• Pumping: Flash-lamp
• Average power: 4 W (IR at 15Hz), 0.2W (Green), Q-switched
• Pulse: 14-16ns, 128mJ (1064nm), 15mJ (532nm), mixed wavelengths: 121mJ, 0-15Hz
• Applications: vapour deposition, surface ablation, marking, engraving, micro-machining and shock peening.

Specifications:

• Average power: 0- 75W
• Peak power: 120kW
• Wavelength: 1064nm
• Pulse: 15-20ns, 0.1 - 25kHz
• Beam delivery: x-y Galvanometer
• Work field: 120mm x 120mm + z axis
• CAD/CAM: α-CAM
• Applications: marking, engraving, sintering, surface cleaning, thin film coating and powder sintering.

Specifications:

• Average power: 0-2.5kW
• Wavelength: 10.6μm
• Beam geometry: rectangular or circular
• Aero-Tech DC CNC table
• Applications: Cutting, welding, rapid prototyping and surface treatments (cladding and alloying).

Specifications:

• Average power: 30W
• Pulse width: 0.1 - 10ms
• Focused beam size: 50μm
• Computer controlled x-y galvanometer beam scanner
• CAD/CAM software for surface marking /engraving
• Applications: fine cutting, drilling and spot welding.

Specifications:

• Power: 0-400W
• Peak power: 7kW
• Wavelength: 1.064μm
• Pulse: 0.3-10ms, 0 - 1kHz, 7J/pulse
• CNC Table: x-y-z Gantry (Unimatic) 500mm x 500mm x 165mm, stepping motor control
• Applications: drilling, precision cutting, welding and surface treatment.

The industry-leading, one-box Ti:Sapphire based amplifier with integrated oscillator and pump lasers. The Libra is configured in a ultra-stable, compact platform and features high-performance comparable to advanced multi-box systems. The compelling, customer-value advantage and market success of Libra are enabled by key design innovations throughout, and the Libra concept has proven itself in a wide range of scientific applications and demanding industrial settings.

Specification:

• Average power: 1W
• Wavelength: 800nm
• Pulse width: 100fs
• Pulse energy: 1mJ
• Repetition rate: to 1kHz
• Applications: Micro/nano-machining, ablation, vapour deposition, micro-prototyping.

The Spectra-Physics Navigator DPSS lasers deliver excellent beam quality and high-intensity pulses, and offer a wide range of pulse widths and repetitions rates. Navigator Q-switched lasers are either water or air cooled. Their end-pumped technology produces a Gaussian beam profile that can be focused to very small spot sizes for precision processing of sub-µm features.

Specification:

• Wavelength: 1064nm, 18 W, Second harmonic, 532nm wavelength, maximum 9W, Third harmonic unit: 355nm wavelength, maximum 4W
• Pulse width: 10 to 35ns
• Repetition rate: 10-80kHz
• Applications: drilling, micro-machining, LCVD, LPVD, surface cleaning, marking, engraving.

Laservall's Violino Green is a diode-pumped, Q-switched, air-cooled OEM laser, with a 7W nominal output power, in the single transverse mode (TEM00). The laser emits at the wavelength of 532nm, thanks to frequency doubling (second harmonic generation). The raw output (1064nm) is fibre delivered to a frequency doubling head and the head is in turn connected to a galvanometer.

Specification:

• Wavelength: 532nm
• Average
 power: 7W
• Pulse width: 7ns
• Repetition rate: 20-80 kHz
• Motion System: 3 axis galvanometer
• Applications: marking, engraving, surface texturing.

One of the highest powered fibre lasers currently installed in the UK. The most versatile and customisable option within the product line is the YLS series fibre laser. Developed as a complete system, this design features the widest range of fibre diameters, the option to terminate to up to six ports from one power source, and the ability to upgrade. The system is attached to three robot arm facilities, cutting, welding and deposition. They have garnered wide acceptance in the very demanding automotive, aerospace and oil and gas industries, many requiring the operation of multiple shifts.

Specifications:

• Average Power: 1 - 16kW (CW)
• Wavelength: 1070-1080nm
• M2: 1.1-1.2
• Beam delivery: Optical fibre (10m, 14μm core diameter)
• Robot system: three Kuka robot arms.

The Picosecond Laser, with the highest output power on the market, has been developed to meet the quality requirements by industry. This is an ultra-short pulsed laser that offers new possibilities in the manufacturing of high end products. This laser offers extra high processing qualities, with an economical and sufficient processing speed.

Specifications:

• Average power: 400W
• Repetition rate: 490kHz-19.9MHz
• Wavelength: 1064nm
• Pulse length: 10ps
• Galvo scanning speed: 10m/s
• X-Y-Z table speed: 0.5m/s

The S-3400N is a powerful yet user-friendly SEM through newly-developed electron optical and automated functions. The Hitachi image quality convinces at high and low beam energies and optimised detector technology provides maximum information from your sample. Variable chamber pressure allows chargeup-free observation of any sample without special preparation techniques, such as coating.

This materials microscope combines high-quality Leica optics with universal white light LED illumination. It is the ideal inspection tool for all kinds of routine inspection tasks in metallography, earth science, forensic investigation and materials quality control and research.

The Innova Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) delivers accurate, high-resolution imaging and a wide range of functionality for advanced research in physical, life and material sciences. The system has been engineered to provide an unmatched combination of productivity, ease of use and application flexibility for the most demanding scientific research.

The NT1100 utilises 
white light interferometry for high-resolution 3D surface measurements, from sub-nanometer roughness to millimetre high steps. On super smooth or rough surfaces, the versatile NT1100 provides repeatable surface measurement for research and development, wear and failure analysis and process control.

The Analytik Jena SPECORD 250 is a double beam UV-VIS 190-1100nm spectrometer.

• Zulzer Metco 6P-II flame spray coating system
• EX900C-10F Cermam Arc_lamp, controller model: ILC PSC-1000
• Particle extraction system
• Guyson Formula F1400 shot blasting machine
• Guyson pencil blaster
• Carbolite 500 furnace (to 500°C)
• Carbolite CWF 12/13 furnace (to 1200°C)
• Struers LaboPress-3 sample mounter/moulder
• Struers Accutom-5 precision cutter - automatic
• Struers labtom cutter - manual
• Morton Clipper CST 65 masonry saw
• Struers Dap-7, 3-head semi-automatic polisher
• Praxair 1264 CE powder feeder
• FST PF-2/2 twin hopper powder feeder.