BeamWatch® AM Integrated Laser Caustic and Power Beam Profiler

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Overview

BeamWatch AM is an integrated laser measurement system designed to measure critical laser beam parameters for laser-based additive manufacturing systems. BeamWatch AM provides simultaneous measurements of multiple profiles along the beam caustic in the camera field-of-view (FOV).

Waist (focus spot) width and location
Focal shift
Centroid
M2

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Products

		Compare	Model	Compatibility	sortOrder	rankScore	ranking	Drawings, CAD & Specs		Spectral Range	Power Range	Availability	Featured Item	Price		Brand
		SP90470 BW-NIR-2-50-AM BeamWatch AM Non-Contact Beam Profiler, 50 µm Min Spot Size, 1060-1080 nm 7 Weeks	SP90470 BW-NIR-2-50-AM BeamWatch AM Non-Contact Beam Profiler, 50 µm Min Spot Size, 1060-1080 nm	UNIVERSAL	0.0	1.0	0.0		0.0	1060-1080 nm	50-1000 W	7 Weeks				Ophir

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Software

BeamWatch

BeamWatch is our full-function software with an extensive set of ISO quantitative propagation measurements, NIST calibrated power measurements, graphical representations of the beam caustic. Requires user supplied PC.

Software

BeamWatch

Specifications

Product Name

BeamWatch^® AM
Spectral Range

1060-1080 nm
Minimum Spot Size

50 µm
Power Range

50-1000 W
Minimum Power Density

1.5 MW/CM²

Power Meter Calibration

NIST traceable calibration ±3%
Beam Profiling

ISO 11146 Measurements
CE Compliance

Yes
UKCA Compliance

Yes
China RoHS Compliance

Yes

Specifications

Product Name

BeamWatch^® AM
Spectral Range

1060-1080 nm
Minimum Spot Size

50 µm
Power Range

50-1000 W
Minimum Power Density

1.5 MW/CM²

Power Meter Calibration

NIST traceable calibration ±3%
Beam Profiling

ISO 11146 Measurements
CE Compliance

Yes
UKCA Compliance

Yes
China RoHS Compliance

Yes

Features

BeamWatch AM for Additive Manufacturing

BeamWatch AM is an integrated laser measurement system designed to measure critical laser beam parameters for laser-based additive manufacturing systems.

BeamWatch AM: Engineers Explain

Ophir has been honored with a 2018 Laser Focus World Platinum Innovators Award for BeamWatch AM®, the first non-contact laser beam monitoring system for additive manufacturing. In this video, Ophir engineers explain why the system is so revolutionary, how it works, and why it will help additive manufacturers.

Features

BeamWatch AM for Additive Manufacturing

BeamWatch AM is an integrated laser measurement system designed to measure critical laser beam parameters for laser-based additive manufacturing systems.

BeamWatch AM: Engineers Explain

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is beam profiling of the lasers in Additive Manufacturing laser systems necessary and required to be conducted at different power levels?
Answer
When medical, aerospace, or other complex devices are produced in an Additive Manufacturing, powder-bed laser system, the product design requires the use of a variety of power levels. These different setting are a function of the structural integrity of the device under build, but also the efficiency of the design to avoid the use of excess materials, powders, and processing time. In a typical 1kw Additive Manufacturing laser, power levels during the build can range from 400W to 1000W, for either short or long durations. Therefore, profiling the laser beam at these different power levels is required. In a recent application test, a 1kW laser was provided at a variety of power settings from 400W to 1kW, in increments of 200Ws. The result of this diagnostic test demonstrated that as the power was increased, the ellipiticity (roundness) of the beam deteriorated. The change was not significant but demonstrated that in any build requiring a 360 degree range of the laser, the focal spot would be slightly larger in one direction and slightly smaller in a different direction, resulting in a major defect of the build. And since some of these builds can take 10’s of hours, finding out after the build that the laser is not round to specification is a costly result. These beam profiling diagnostics alerted the client to a potential problem BEFORE they went to build product, avoiding costly mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is beam profiling of the lasers in Additive Manufacturing laser systems necessary and required to be conducted at different power levels?
Answer
When medical, aerospace, or other complex devices are produced in an Additive Manufacturing, powder-bed laser system, the product design requires the use of a variety of power levels. These different setting are a function of the structural integrity of the device under build, but also the efficiency of the design to avoid the use of excess materials, powders, and processing time. In a typical 1kw Additive Manufacturing laser, power levels during the build can range from 400W to 1000W, for either short or long durations. Therefore, profiling the laser beam at these different power levels is required. In a recent application test, a 1kW laser was provided at a variety of power settings from 400W to 1kW, in increments of 200Ws. The result of this diagnostic test demonstrated that as the power was increased, the ellipiticity (roundness) of the beam deteriorated. The change was not significant but demonstrated that in any build requiring a 360 degree range of the laser, the focal spot would be slightly larger in one direction and slightly smaller in a different direction, resulting in a major defect of the build. And since some of these builds can take 10’s of hours, finding out after the build that the laser is not round to specification is a costly result. These beam profiling diagnostics alerted the client to a potential problem BEFORE they went to build product, avoiding costly mistakes.