Techniques are disclosed for an improved boresighting apparatus and related method for boresighting a light source to an imaging sensor, and for an improved material to be used in a target object in such a boresighting apparatus. For example, an apparatus for use in boresighting may include a catadioptric element and a target object, where the catadioptric element is configured to focus a laser beam from the light source and also to collimate light emitted from the target object at a different wavelength than the laser beam to be detected by the imaging sensor for indicating the location of the focused laser beam. The target object may, for example, comprises a fluorescent optical material doped with one or more optically active ions to absorb light having the wavelength of the laser beam and emit light in one or more wavebands detectable by the imaging sensors.

A method for aligning a scan laser beam on a wafer include scanning a scan laser beam across a laser beam sensor along a scan line, picking up a scan laser beam, at a first position, using a first optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a first electrical pulse, picking up the scan laser beam, at a second position, using a second optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a second electrical pulse, picking up the scan laser beam, at a third position, using a third optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a third electrical pulse, and determining a spot size and a position of the laser beam based on the first to third electrical pulses.

A method for manufacturing a laser processed product including a laser processed part is performed by using a laser oscillation section, a beam splitting section and an imaging section. The manufacturing method includes: forming an irradiation mark including an irradiation pattern in a reference irradiation surface by using the laser oscillation section and the beam splitting section, the irradiation pattern including a plurality of irradiation spots; obtaining an image of the irradiation mark via the imaging section; determining a representative position based on positions of the plurality of irradiation spots in the image; determining a deviation amount of deviation of the representative position from a target position; and forming the laser processed part with a irradiation position corrected based on the deviation amount.

A laser processing apparatus including a processing nozzle for irradiating a workpiece with laser beam, a driving mechanism for relatively moving the processing nozzle and the workpiece, and a gap sensor for detecting a gap between the processing nozzle and the workpiece. The apparatus includes a gap control section referring to a measured value detected by the gap sensor and calculating a manipulating variable used for controlling the driving mechanism so as to maintain the gap during execution of laser processing at a first dimension, a power monitoring section monitoring electric power from a power supply and sending an abnormality detection signal to the gap control section when a power abnormality occurs, and a control action switching section switching a control action of the gap control section so as to increase the gap from the first dimension when the abnormality detection signal is sent to the gap control section.

The present invention relates to a sensor device for determining alignment/misalignment of a laser beam relative to a gas nozzle of a laser machining head which comprises a sensor housing provided with mounting means adapted to mount the housing to a laser machining head, a camera device comprising a camera, the camera device is provided in the sensor housing, so that the camera faces the tip of the gas nozzle when the sensor housing is mounted to the laser machining head for visualizing an orifice of the gas nozzle and a pilot laser simultaneously, and output means for outputting image signals obtained by the camera.

A method and system for aligning a scan laser beam on a wafer include scanning a scan laser beam across a laser beam sensor along a scan line, picking up a scan laser beam, at a first position, using a first optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a first electrical pulse, picking up the scan laser beam, at a second position, using a second optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a second electrical pulse, picking up the scan laser beam, at a third position, using a third optical slit of the laser beam sensor to generate a third electrical pulse, and determining a spot size and a position of the laser beam based on the first to third electrical pulses.

A laser processing apparatus including a processing nozzle for irradiating a workpiece with laser beam, a driving mechanism for relatively moving the processing nozzle and the workpiece, and a gap sensor for detecting a gap between the processing nozzle and the workpiece. The apparatus includes a gap control section referring to a measured value detected by the gap sensor and calculating a manipulating variable used for controlling the driving mechanism so as to maintain the gap during execution of laser processing at a first dimension, a power monitoring section monitoring electric power from a power supply and sending an abnormality detection signal to the gap control section when a power abnormality occurs, and a control action switching section switching a control action of the gap control section so as to increase the gap from the first dimension when the abnormality detection signal is sent to the gap control section.

A method and a control device for deflection of a laser beam for laser-based additive manufacturing processes includes first and second orthogonally rotatable mirrors designed to reflect the laser beam and guide the laser beam to an irradiation field. The first mirror and the second mirror are secured on respective first and second shafts, with the first mirror performing a continuous first vibration with a first frequency, and the second mirror performing a continuous second vibration with a second frequency different from the first frequency and/or with a phase difference with respect to the first vibration. Each of the two shafts has a known position such that the first vibration is synchronous with the second vibration. The laser is activated/deactivated upon reaching/leaving an irradiation point. The generated vibrations of the mirrors describe a continuous Lissajous curve.

Laser processing machines, such as laser cutting machine, including a work table receiving workpiece, and work arm with a laser cutting head. Laser cutting head includes nozzle receiving device and nozzle. Via nozzle laser beam may be directed onto work piece. Machine includes main drives moving work arm and/or the laser cutting head on X-Y-Z axes to process work piece, as well as an alignment unit to adjust laser beam. An adjusting station includes receiving unit fixing nozzle and/or the nozzle receiving device during centering of nozzle. The alignment unit has head element in laser cutting head. Head element receives nozzle and/or the nozzle receiving device and is slidable in X-Y directions, via the main drives. Head element may be fixed in a selected position, within the laser cutting head, via clamping device releasable during nozzle centering at adjusting station.

A CBC system includes an array of beam sources generating coherent beams directed towards a target. The beam sources have associated adjustable phase modulators and beam steering arrangements. For each of the beams in a subset of the beams, the corresponding beam steering arrangement is actuated to steer the beam, and the corresponding phase modulator is actuated to modulate a current phase of the beam between at least three phase states. A detector monitors an intensity parameter that varies as a function of an intensity of radiation impinging on the target. A controller calculates, for each of the beams in the subset, a current value that is representative of a relative intensity of the beam based at least in part on the monitored intensity parameter at each of the at least three phase states. The calculated value is indicative of a current position of the beam relative to the target.