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Noncontact industrial beam monitoring system has no power restrictions

Ophir Photonics has introduced the newest version of BeamWatch™, a noncontact focus spot size and position monitor for very high-power YAG and fiber lasers used in material processing applications such as automotive and aerospace manufacturing.

Because there is no contact with the laser beam, the system has no power restriction and has been successfully tested on high-power lasers up to 100 kW. The monitor now features an algorithm that optimizes the measurement window, removing imprecise, manual judgments from the process.

The system makes a set of complete measurements at camera update rates, measuring the Rayleigh scatter caused by the beam. This provides instant readings of focus spot size and beam position, as well as dynamic measurements of focal plane location during process start-up.