The world's smartest polygon scanner
What is a polygon scanner?
In contrast to the galvo scanner with an oscillating mirror, the laser beam deflection in the polygon scanner is handled by a rapidly rotating wheel with several successively acting mirror surfaces. Since the seventies, this technology has shown its efficiency in laser printers.
LIDAR systems also use this interesting technique. The fast rotating wheel leads to an extremely fast deflection of the laser radiation. Depending on the number of mirror surfaces per wheel and the number of revolutions, a certain line frequency results.
The angular velocity of the beam is thus fixed. Depending on the focal length of the optics used, a certain deflection width results and thus a certain deflection speed. The optics thus determine the minimum focus size and the maximum deflection speed.
With the polygon scanner, the entire scan line is always scanned. This is advantageous for large-area irradiation. If only individual areas of a larger surface are to be irradiated, the polygon scanner is rather unsuitable. Due to the edges in the polygon wheel, at which the laser beam must be switched off, the polygon scanner achieves only a certain maximum degree of utilization.
The larger the usable beam diameter in relation to the mirror length, the smaller the degree of utilization for the laser. This can be compensated by a special control option for the laser (burst) or by using 2 parallel laser beams (USP laser).
Polygon scanners are not yet used that often in materials processing. This is also due to the fact that the laser powers to be implemented so far did not necessarily require the ultra-fast deflection. But the available laser powers are continuously increasing!
In the ns range as well as in the UKP range, previous scanning technologies are already reaching their limits. And for the use of low-cost cw lasers, polygon scanners open up completely new fields of application such as ablation cutting, polishing and cleaning. With a fast external beam circuit, it is even possible to perform high-resolution structuring.
So the time of the polygon scanner has just begun. If you want to work not only at 30 m/s but rather at 300 m/s and have the necessary laser power for your process, you should think about polygon scanners. MOEWE is the ideal partner with innovative and smart technology.
Patented design and real-time data processing
Double reflection eliminates the fluctuations of the reflection point as a fundamental problem of polygon mirrors. In connection with a time marker and an extremely fast correction of manufacturing tolerances by an integrated FPGA (200 MHz) the polygon scanner system of MOEWE is extremely accurate.
• Patented special optical design for minimal distortion
• Patented real-time data processing through FPGA
Large clear aperture
The free aperture of 30 mm, which is extremely large for a compact polygon scanner with a mass of only 13 kg, allows the use of large laser beam diameters. Thus, very small focus diameters can be achieved. With a focal length of 270 mm, approx. 25 µm are obtained for a single-mode fiber laser in the NIR wavelength range at a scan length of 160 mm. Due to the large beam diameter and because all reflective surfaces only come into contact with moving beams, extremely high laser powers of > 5 kW can be deflected with the MOEWE polygon scanner. With a long focal length of 1,900 mm, scanning lengths of 1,500 mm can be achieved. The focus diameter is then still about 180 µm.
• Size: 30 mm
• Smallest focus spot diameter < 10 µm
• Suitable for high power lasers > 5 KW
Scanning speed > 1,000 m/s possible
The scanning speed of polygon scanners is about 30 times higher than that of galvo scanners. With a focal length of 420 mm our MOEWE polygon scanner system reaches a speed of 1,000 m/s at a line frequency of 1,300 Hz. Especially for raster processing, which is necessary anyway, and for continuous area irradiation, the benefit of a polygon scanner is obvious. With the increasing power of ultra-short pulse lasers, ultra-fast beam deflection with polygon scanners is useful to achieve the high productivity that such lasers allow, even at high quality. USP lasers with a single pulse frequency of > 10 MHz can still be precisely controlled with our device. In the laboratory the MOEWE polygon scanner system has already controlled a laser with 60 MHz. This leads to extremely fast machining processes.
• Significant time saving
• Efficient cost reduction
• Larger production volumes
MOEWE Optical Solutions GmbH is your reliable partner for high-quality industrial polygon mirror scanners. These scanners are characterized by a large aperture, compact design and high optical robustness. Due to the full digitalisation of the device, high accuracy and real-time integration into external moving coordinate systems can be offered. Please direct your concrete inquiry to us! We will be glad to help you.
different polygon scanner systems for many applications
PM 100
Application: Surface treatment, Modification, Cleaning, Cutting
Power range: High power > 1 kW
Processing mode: CW + pulsed + utra short pulsed
PM 200
Application: Marking, Labelling, Microstructuring, Micromachining
Power range: up to 400W polarized
Processing regime: CW, including modulation up to 10 MHz
PM 300
Application: universal (Marking, Microstructuring, Micromachining, LIFT, …)
Power range: Power < 1 kW
Processing mode: CW + pulsed + ultra short pulsed
PM 400
Application: Drilling, Perforate, Microstructuring, Micromachining
Power range: Power < 1 kW; 2nd galvo for phase control
Processing regime: pulsed + ultra short pulsed
PMS 600
Application: 2,5 D Engraving
Power range: Power < 1 kW; integrated real-time slicer
Processing regime: pulsed + ultra short pulsed
News
MOEWE receives award from American technology magazine
The American technology print magazine “Seminconductor Review”, has recognized MOEWE as the leading solution provider in the field of photonics in Europe! The interview was conducted with Dr. André Streek. We are very pleased about this recognition! The print edition will be published in early April 2023.
Aperam Ventures invests in Moewe Optical Solutions GmbH
Aperam, a global player in stainless steel, electrical steel and specialty steel, has invested in our company, Moewe Optical Solutions GmbH, since 2021. Aperam supports bold founders and high-performing teams with its venture capital fund “Aperam Ventures”.
As a strategic investor, Aperam looks for companies that can simultaneously support the growth trajectory of Aperam itself, in addition to building meaningful and impactful relationships with exceptional entrepreneurs.
MOEWE Optical Solutions @ SPIE. Photonics West!
From 31.01.2023 to 02.02.2023 we participated in the SPIE. Photonics West in San Francisco. Already on January 30, 2023, Dr. Florian Rößler, our head of research and development, and Manja Hänsel, our employee for communication and marketing, made their way to the USA. During the 3 days at one of the most important international world leading trade fairs for optical technologies, we were able to present our polygon scanner in the German Pavilion and made many international contacts.
We participated in the networking event of UK and Holland and were also invited to the “German Evening” at the Leica Store. This evening was hosted by Photonics Germany, an association of the leading high-tech associations OptecNet and SPECTARIS. We were able to make many interesting and new contacts at these events as well. All in all, we had a wonderful time in the USA and are already looking forward to the next trade shows that will take place.
MOEWE RealtimeSync-Technology
In collaboration with Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida and our partner Edgewave GmbH, we were able to show for the first time, the increase of speed during laser processing, through the intelligent linking of polygon scanners.
To do so, we invented and patented a special controlling system, having the scanners work perfectly in tune with each other.
Student scholarship 22/23 (Deutschlandstipendium)
In 2022/2023 MOEWE will support another scholarship (Deutschlandstipendium) at University of Applied Sciences Mittweida. 1800 € are provided for support.
The cooperation with the university is being strengthened and interest for MOEWE should be aroused to competent students.
Fusion Bionic and MOEWE initiate closer collaboration
Fusion Bionic, a spin-off from Fraunhofer IWS, is happy to announce the start of a strategic cooperation with MOEWE Optical Solutions GmbH, a leading manufacturer of polygon-based laser microprocessing systems.
Both companies are joining forces to enable ultra-high-speed systems for surface processing and functionalization.
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