Fast beam shaping for advanced laser manufacturing

用于先进激光制造的快速光束整形

• 批准号: ST/M002888/1
• 负责人: Katherine Kirk
• 金额: $ 11.29万
• 依托单位: University of the West of Scotland
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FM002888%2F1
• 关键词: Fast; beam; shaping; advanced; laser

This project is about building a cost-effective deformable mirror system suitable to incorporate into advanced laser manufacturing systems. Laser systems are now used or proposed for machining, polishing, and additive layer manufacture. Directing and shaping a laser beam under computer control allows multiple laser tools to be generated and enables highly complex structures to be manufactured, suitable for prototyping, low volume high value manufacture, and one-off components such as medical implants. Faster, more accurate, and cheaper adaptive optic components will increase the take-up in industry of these advanced laser manufacturing techniques. The key aspects of the fast beam shaping technology are (i) the mirror design, which is adaptable to miniaturisation and integration with sensing and drive electronics, and (ii) the technique of "actuator extension sensing" which reduces the effect of piezoelectric hysteresis enabling faster and more accurate mirror control. The development of the deformable mirror with extension sensing offers the potential for continuously-variable manipulation of the beam profile and spot size of a laser. For example in additive layer manufacturing, in which a laser beam is scanned under computer control to create a component by melting metal powder, it will be possible to compensate for off-axis distortions during scanning across the metal powder bed, or to use a larger or smaller spot for coarse or fine detail of the component's structure.The aim in this project is to show the effectiveness and commercial value of the deformable mirror with extension sensing control. We will show the mirror working under control in the laboratory in a laser manufacturing application, namely additive layer manufacture. We will investigate in depth the market opportunity in advanced laser manufacturing, route to market for the technology, and the requirements for further investment.

该项目旨在构建一个经济高效的可变形镜系统，适合纳入先进的激光制造系统。激光系统现在被用于或提议用于机械加工、抛光和附加层制造。在计算机控制下引导和成形激光束可以生成多个激光工具，并可以制造高度复杂的结构，适用于原型制作、小批量高价值制造以及医疗植入物等一次性组件。更快、更准确、更便宜的自适应光学元件将增加这些先进激光制造技术在工业中的应用。快速光束整形技术的关键方面是（i）反射镜设计，适用于小型化以及与传感和驱动电子设备的集成，以及（ii）“执行器延伸传感”技术，可减少压电磁滞的影响，从而实现更快、更准确的反射镜控制。具有延伸传感功能的可变形镜的开发为连续可变地操纵激光的光束轮廓和光斑尺寸提供了潜力。例如，在增材层制造中，激光束在计算机控制下扫描，通过熔化金属粉末来制造部件，可以补偿扫描金属粉末床期间的离轴畸变，或者使用更大或更小的光斑来获得部件结构的粗略或精细细节。该项目的目的是展示具有延伸传感控制的可变形镜的有效性和商业价值。我们将在激光制造应用（即增材层制造）中展示在实验室受控下工作的镜子。我们将深入调查先进激光制造的市场机会、技术的市场路线以及进一步投资的要求。