Arges has introduced a laser scanning head with its SafeScan integrated safety monitoring system. The three-step safety concept verifies the functionality of the laser scanner before and during laser processing, and monitors all safety-critical optical elements as well as the electro-mechanical components of the scanner's internal beam path. According to the company, the use of the SafeScan system can allow laser integrators to cut additional safety monitoring steps from a laser system without having compromising the overal safety of the process.
The SafeScan system features real-time plausibility checks on the positions of the scanner axes during laser processing, tracking errors, position noise, and resonant behaviour for example. Additional plausibility checks are run on the position data received from the scan head with regards to speed and acceleration, and on the scanner's internal and external parameters such as temperature (of electronics and actuators), operating supply and reference voltages, cooling water, behaviour of the individual optical elements and coatings, etc.
In addition to safety monitoring, the data-logging of the SafeScan system also facilitates preventive maintenance before break down. Should one or more parameters exceed the safety critical range, the scanning system activates the emergency shut-down of the laser.