Scanner technology helps to speed up the laser welding process: mirrors route the laser beam directly to the machining point. So unproductive times for positioning the welding optics are eliminated.
This, at the same time, is coupled with all the advantages that laser joining offers. Machining time is reduced and the quality of the finished parts improved. This applies to seam welding as well as to spot welding.
The scanner optics can also be guided over a workpiece in conjunction with a robot. The term "welding-on-the-fly" originates from this "flying" motion.
The beam is guided by tilting one or two movable mirrors [1] in X and Y direction and by the movement of an optical element [2] in the direction of Z. The mirrors and optical elment can carry out extremely dynamic and, at the same time, very precise angle changes or linear motions as a result of their low moving masses.
According to the theorem on intersecting lines, the size of the processing area [3] depends on the distance between the optics and workpiece and therefore on the focal length of the focusing lens. As the processing field is moved in the direction of the Z axis, its area also changes in size in accordance with the theorem on intersecting lines.
The size of the focal point in the total workspace [4] remains constant.
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Scanner welding with solid-state lasers