Welding Solutions: Motion Solutions For High Speed Welding

Miyachi Unitek now offers two solutions for high speed welding applications that move the laser rather than the part: a galvo mirror-based scanning system and a low mass moving focus head linear drive system.

The galvo mirror system is capable of point-to-point speeds up to 100 ips over short distances for almost instantaneous weld-to-weld positioning. This system is specifically designed for multiple welds on small parts that may be welded one at a time or nested according to the working area of the F-Theta focusing lens. Typical applications for this type of system are welding read heads for hard disk drives, where up to 72 welds are required each second.

When larger parts are being welded, a gantry system is employed that allows the beam focus spot size to be selected independent of the area and maintains the beam angle on the part. Using a low mass weld head, accelerations of 2 g are possible, allowing for speeds of up to 100 ips. With a rapid acceleration profile it is also possible to move, stop, and weld at multiple positions to maintain a round weld with minimized impact on overall cycle time. www.miyachiunitek.com