Aerotech, provider of high-performance motion control and positioning systems, presents its innovative laser and motion control solutions at the world’s leading trade fair “LASER – World of PHOTONICS” in Munich (24-27 June 2019, Hall A2, Booth 235). For the first time, the new IGM positioning system will be on display together with the all new AGV-SPO galvo scanner. Another highlight at the trade fair will be the introduction of the new Automation1 controller as successor to the A3200. In addition, Aerotech’s new strategic partner Micronix will be present at the booth.
“For us, LASER – World of PHOTONICS is the most important trade fair for laser and scanning technology”, says Aerotech’s Managing Director Norbert Ludwig. “In Munich, we use this excellent platform to present our latest developments for laser processing to a broader audience of experts from all over the world.”
Higher rigidity, more dynamics and higher scan clock rates
With the AGV-SPO galvo scanner, Aerotech sets standards in the area of high-precision laser technology. Combined with Aerotech’s Integrated Granite Motion (IGM) positioning system, the laser scanner fully demonstrates its strengths. “Our IGM positioning tables are much more rigid due to the combination of the granite and the directly attached axes. Owing to the more flexible design, we can respond in a far better way to specific customer requirements”, says Norbert Ludwig about the first applications in the field.
The higher rigidity also affects the laser positioning accuracy. Since the dynamics are removed from the laser and transferred to the axes of the IGM, the scan clock rates and throughput increase significantly. “Our OEMs, who can replace the galvo scanner with IGM wherever the processing area is larger than the actual scan field, will benefit from this”, explains Norbert Ludwig. In addition, IGM also makes better use of the laser specification. Since the guide rails are screwed directly onto the granite, IGM systems are smaller than conventional positioning solutions, which saves floor space in the laboratory or clean room environment.
If an AGV scanner is integrated into the linear axes of an IGM, this will be done in the A3200 automation platform used as a plug-and-play extension of the XR3 high-performance controller and GL4 galvo controller. The coordinates can then be easily programmed. The advantage of this combination is that it can be programmed in XY, and the controller then automatically synchronises with the laser scanner, i.e. the image which the scanner travels through is split into scanner and XY movement. This improves the performance in the structure, errors are avoided and there is no stitching. Here, the so-called IFOV (Infinite Field of View) function comes into play, so that linear or rotational servo axes are synchronised with the laser scanner.
“The advantages of the combined AGV galvo scanner and IGM positioning system are clear: the system is very easy to program and offers a significantly better performance on both the scanner and the IGM”, explains Norbert Ludwig. At the fair, the IGM laser unit will be shown as an encapsulated version, i.e. for applications such as laser cutting, when extremely fine dusts occur.
