Scanlab Camera Adapters

Camera Adapters

The camera adapter allows process observation of the working plane of the galvanometer scanning head by means of a camera. This makes it suitable for process control during laser processing or for inspection of workpiece position and orientation.

Its mechanical interface can be mounted directly between the scanning head and the laser flange. Four camera placement positions are available for setting up the objective unit, ensuring easy integration into existing or new systems.

In order to observe the working plane, the light from there is decoupled in the camera adapter via a beam splitter and imaged onto the sensor via the camera objective. In contrast, laser radiation is transmitted almost unimpeded on its way to the scanning system.

vision for scan heads

The camera adapter enables camera-based observation of a galvanometer scan head’s working field. Typical applications include process monitoring or determination of a workpiece’s orientation during laser processing.

The camera adapter ensures easy integration into new as well as existing systems. The adapter’s mechanical interfaces enable straight forward mounting between the scan head and laser flange. The system allows 4 alternative orientations of the objective with camera.

To facilitate monitoring of work surfaces, light arriving from the workpiece is decoupled via the adapter’s beam splitter and directed through the camera’s objective onto its imaging chip. The laser beam on the other hand passes practically unattenuated through the beam splitter to the scan system. Optical configurations are available for various wavelengths. Customers can freely select a camera suitable for their requirements and attach it via a C-mount.

The camera adapter is specifically designed for maximum observation field size and its integrated iris diaphragm can be adjusted for optimal imaging quality. In addition,color or interference filters can be installed.

Installation

The camera adapter is mounted between the scan head’s beam entrance and the laser flange (see drawing). The bore holes at the camera adapter’s beam entrance and exit side are compatible with the mounting holes of the scan heads from SCANLAB.

The beam splitter housing can be adjusted so that the camera and objective unit are oriented either up, down or sideways (see drawing).

Principle of Operation

The camera adapter enables camera-based observation of a scan head’s working field.

Therefore, a dichroitic beam splitter inside the beam splitter housing decouples light reflected from the illuminated workpiece and arriving the scan head’s beam entrancevia the scan objective and the scan mirrors.

The light is decoupled from the beam path and then directed to the camera. The laserbam on the other hand passes through the beam splitter practically unattenuated.

The decoupled light is directed through the camera objective onto the active imaging

surface of the camera (e.g. CCD chip Threaded in the beam splitter housing, the objective unit contains the camera objective, an iris diaphragm and provisions at the

beam entrance side for mounting a color filter. Camera image sharpness is achieved by manually adjusting the objective unit’s focus ring.

Customers can select an illumination wavelength compatible with the optical specifications of the beam splitter, scan mirrors and other system optics. Observation Field and Resolution The size of the observation field depends on the focal lengths of the scan objective and camera objective and on the camera chip’s size. A scan objective focal length of 163 mm typically produces a camera image field size of approx. 7.5 mm x 10 mm and a maximum optical resolution of around 10 µm (see table). This can be further increased by a 2-fold or 4-fold camera attachment, depending on the pixel resolution of the camera.