Industrial Imaging Controls Laser Surface Treatment

G.R.B.E. R–mer, M. Hoeksma and J. Meijer, University of Twente

Laser surface treatment comprises a family of high-power laser techniques that can improve wear, fatigue and erosion resistance of machine parts. These techniques are slowly moving from the research laboratory to the factory floor, but variations in part size and processing parameters produce wide fluctuations in surface qualities.
To carry out this kind of treatment with reproducible high quality, users must carefully control the laser process. At the University of Twente in The Netherlands, we have developed a real-time process control system based on industrial imaging.