Looking for a galvo scan head to mate to a CO2 Laser.

[itsmoked]

I'm looking for an XY2-100 galvanometer head to mate with a 30 to 70W 10,600nm CO[sup]2[/sup] laser. Has anyone got one they've used and are happy/impressed with? (XY2-100 is a communications standard in the galvo field)

I have to retrofit a large marking laser that is rapidly aging-out. I'm going to switch out the laser and the non XY2-100 galvo for something more tenable.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Plenty options to choose from, Keith... is there a set of features you care about? Digital or analog control? Resolution? Do you want on-the-fly focusing (i.e., Z-height changes), or are F-theta lenses good enough?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[itsmoked]

Hi Dan,

We have a 4 x 5ft granite XY table with a fixed laser mounted above. The existing system has a cross hair camera that you use to drive the XY table around with (joy stick) until it's got the workpiece where you want to mark it. Then the user flips a hokey switch that causes the XY table to jump X offset the difference between the camera and the galvo. Then you run the marking.

I want to pitch the whole computer, table axis' drives, camera, laser, and existing galvo since the controllers, comp, and servo drives are all failing. I want to keep the XY-table from the drive couplings in and pretty much nothing else.

I'm considering using this controller which is probably analog but I'm not actually sure. I don't really care what method, I just want to put serial/part numbers on lots of quartz. While on-the-fly Z stuff would be nice it wouldn't be worth another $1k to us as we mostly just set finished pieces on the XY table and mark the part.

Ebay USB controller

Lasers are pretty easy to come by and I'm expecting to use a Coherent C series 30, 40 or 70W. I can use the aforementioned control card and easily come up with a DC supply. I can get a servo pack to take in STEP/DIR to run the table. The aforementioned control card purportedly dishes out the signals needed to run the table since it does batch and has large piece marking ability.

I'm just not finding any galvos. An F-theta lens type system would probably be fine. Everything I'm finding seems to be YAG type 1064nm glass which won't work with 10,600nm light.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

You should have no issues finding F-theta lenses for 10.6um... but check out Cambridge Technology. I think you'll like their 3D systems:

http://www.camtech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=181

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[analogkid2digitalman]

Keith:

Try SCANLAB for 10.6um compatible scanners, I am pretty sure they have mirrors/optics for CO2.

I started a project (currently on hold) using a LanMark Maestro 3000 controller mated to a SCANLAB Intellicube XY head for a 355nm system. Integration of the two was pretty smooth.

For testing I used a visible greed diode but did not have the modulation control wired up yet.

-AK2DM


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"It's the questions that drive us"
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[itsmoked]

Thanks Dan. Interesting stuff. I'll have to see what they charge for those babies.


AK2DM; Nice ceiling writer you have there!

I can't seem to find an "Intellicube" product on their page. I find "IntelliScan" but not 'cube'..



Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I'd have to dig through my notes, but I want to say a scannning head and focusing servo (the 3-D element of it all) for a fiber ran something like $5-6k? I considered the price pretty reasonable given all that it could do, as well as the speed at which it could do it at.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[analogkid2digitalman]

Keith:

They may have discontinued that product line, I think it dates back several years.

-AK2DM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's the questions that drive us"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[itsmoked]

Dan; Does seem like a reasonable cost for what these things have demanded from them.

OK thanks AK2DM. There's plenty there that look more than capable. Lots with XY2-100 protocol understanding too.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

If those don't fit, let em know and I can dig up a few more. Did a LOT of research on scan heads a couple of years back when I had planned to put together a bespoke fiber setup.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com