PSA Group’s feedback control loop to monitor laser power

CASE STUDY

Application: automotive manufacturing, laser welding

Measurement type: Laser power monitoring

Challenges

The French company PSA Group uses automated laser welding systems in assembly lines. They know that with regular laser output power verifications, the assembly line can be paused before many expensive parts are scrapped.

Given that critical failures can occur anywhere along the path the light follows before it reaches the material being processed, measuring the output power of a laser beam before the working point cannot be considered a global solution. In this case, it means they need a solution that can measure a tightly focused beam that provides over 4 kW of power during 30 seconds.

Gentec-EO’s solutions

The HP100A-12KW-HD can measure up to 12 kW of continuous power. Being a calorimetric technology, this instrument has the strong advantage of being outstandingly linear with power.

The facility operators use it to set up an alarm in a feedback control loop to stop the assembly line if a laser welding head delivers power outside the expected range.

HP100A-12KW-HD laser power detector

Results

Over the past few years, they have integrated at least one laser power measurement device on each of their 100 welding systems. Since the measurement occurs at the working point, this is a global solution that is surpassing the existing monitoring systems’ ability to measure laser stability and thus, work quality.

WE CAN HELP YOU TOO

Gentec Electro-Optics specializes in laser beam measurement and analysis. With an outstanding 50-year track record of innovation, developing and providing state-of-the-art technologies to the laser market, Gentec-EO has become The Expert of the laser beam measurement field.

Gentec-EO offers the broadest range of off-the-shelf and custom laser beam measurement solutions. Challenge us with your laser specs and system requirements and we'll come up with the measurement solution that meets your needs.

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