A method for determining a separation distance between a working head in a machine for laser processing a material and a surface of the material includes generating a measurement beam of low coherence optical radiation, leading the measurement beam towards the material and a reflected or diffused measurement beam towards an optical interferometric sensor arrangement in a first direction of incidence, generating a reference beam of low coherence optical radiation, leading the reference beam towards the optical interferometric sensor arrangement in a second direction of incidence superimposing the measurement and reference beams on a common region of incidence, detecting a position of a pattern of interference fringes between the measurement and reference beams on the common region of incidence, and determining a difference in optical length between the measurement and reference optical paths based on the position of the pattern of interference fringes along an illumination axis.

A laser automatic focusing equipment for a laser engraving machine is provided. It includes a lifting mechanism, a laser assembly disposed at a lower end of a side of the lifting mechanism, and a lifting motor fixedly disposed on an upper end of the side of the lifting mechanism and is in transmission connection with the lifting mechanism. The laser assembly includes a heat sink, a laser disposed in the heat sink, a distance sensor disposed in the heat sink and on a side of the laser, and a contact device disposed in the heat sink and at a bottom of the laser. The whole focusing process is controlled by a program without human intervention, with high accuracy, no manual operation and no laser irradiation risk. It is suitable for focusing of engraving materials with different hardness and different materials by adding the contact device.

A measuring device determines a distance between a processing head for a laser processing system configured to process a workpiece with a laser beam and the workpiece. The measuring device includes an optical coherence tomograph to measure a distance between the processing head and workpiece. In the optical coherence tomograph, measuring light generated by a measuring light source and reflected by the workpiece interferes with measuring light reflected in a reference arm with two or more reference stages. The stages include a first reference stage configured such that the measuring light reflected therein travels a first optical path length, and a second reference stage configured such that the measuring light reflected therein travels a second optical path length different from the first length, wherein the measuring light reflected by the workpiece interferes with reflected measuring light of the first reference stage and reflected measuring light of the second reference stage.

The inventive concept provides a mask treating method. The mask treating method includes treating a mask by supplying a liquid to the mask, and irradiating a laser to a region of the mask on which a specific pattern is formed while the liquid remains on the mask; moving an optical module including a laser unit configured to irradiate the laser between a process position for treating the substrate and a standby position deviating from the process position; and adjusting a state of the optical module at an inspection port provided at the standby position to a set condition before the optical module is moved to the process position.

An electromagnetic radiation system for directing an electromagnetic radiation beam (11) at a target (28) having a first arrangement (12) in which the radiation beam (11) is directed along a marking beam path that is within a marking range of the electromagnetic radiation system and a second arrangement (12, 15) in which the radiation beam (27) is directed along a different beam path (27) that is not within the marking range of the electromagnetic radiation system, wherein a positional relationship between the marking beam path (11) and the different beam path (27) satisfies a predetermined condition at the target (28) when the electromagnetic radiation system is at a predetermined distance (29) from the target (28).

Apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by means of an energy beam, which apparatus comprises an irradiation device adapted to guide an energy beam across a build plane, wherein a calibration device is provided comprising a positioning unit, a determination unit and a calibration unit, preferably arranged in a process chamber of the apparatus, that is adapted to at least partially reflect the energy beam, wherein the irradiation device is adapted to guide the energy beam to the calibration unit for generating a reflected part of the energy beam, wherein the positioning unit is adapted to position the irradiation device dependent on at least one parameter of the reflected part of the energy beam determined via the determination unit.

A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

A plurality of values measured are relatively compared to determine an optical axis deviation direction in which an optical axis of a measurement beam S deviates from a laser beam L. In performing laser welding in the optical axis deviation direction, an irradiation position of the measurement beam S is changed so that the irradiation position of the measurement beam S is moved to a rear side of the center of the optical axis of the laser beam L in the welding direction.