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Ophir-Spiricon - Sensor Directly Measures Very High Laser Power and Power Density

29th September 2009

ES Admin

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Ophir-Spiricon, the global leader in precision laser measurement equipment, today announced the 10KW Power/Energy Sensor, the first detector to directly measure very high powers and power densities. Designed for material processing applications, such as welding and metal cutting, the 10KW measures YAG and fiber lasers in the 1040-1100 nm range, and CO2 lasers at 10.6 microns. A wide aperture of 45 mm allows for measurement of broad beams. The maximum power for concentrated beams is up to 10KW/cm2. The maximum energy density for a 10 ms pulse is up to 150 J/cm2.

The drive for higher laser powers had led to higher processing efficiency from the laser, said Gary Wagner, President of Ophir-Spiricon, Inc. But powers over 5KW at high power densities have been a challenge to measure due to the lack of technologies available to handle the power density. Indirect measurement methods, such as beam samplers, depend on the calibration accuracy of the beam splitter, which can change when exposed to very high power densities. Systems that use a rise in water temperature to gauge laser power are bulky, complicated to use, and have a slow response time.

The 10KW power/energy sensor uses a reflective cone to deflect the laser beam over the peripheral circumference of the sensor, stated Ephraim Greenfield, CTO, Laser Measurement Group, Ophir-Spiricon, Inc. This increases the radiated area and reduces the power density to manageable levels. The end result is a fast and accurate measurement for what had previously been difficult to read, and therefore, control.

The 10KW Power/Energy Sensor features Ophir Smart Connector technology that automatically configures and calibrates connected displays, including the company's Orion PE, Nova, Nova II, Vega, LaserStar, USBI, Pulsar, and Quasar.