Description

Galvanometric scanners serve as critical components in laser material processing systems, enabling precise and rapid positioning of the laser focal spot for diverse industrial applications including welding, cutting, and additive manufacturing. As manufacturing industries increasingly demand reduced cycle times alongside improved positioning accuracy, the inherent dynamic limitations of these scanner systems emerge as significant constraints. Inertia-induced discrepancies between commanded and actual scan paths—particularly pronounced at acute angles and high operating speeds—can substantially compromise processing quality and geometric fidelity. This limitation becomes especially critical in precision micro-manufacturing applications such as ultrashort pulse laser percussion drilling of titanium foils for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis diffusion layers, where precise energy distribution directly impacts functionality. For these specialized diffusion layers, scanning speed during surface structuring not only affects quality but fundamentally determines economic viability of the entire manufacturing process. Our research introduces novel model-based trajectory planning methodologies that significantly enhance scanner dynamic performance without requiring costly hardware modifications. By developing and implementing mathematically optimized pre-calculated scanner input trajectories based on system identification, our approach effectively minimizes inertia-induced deviations throughout the entire scanning process. Experimental validation demonstrates that these optimized trajectories yield substantial improvements in both positioning precision and processing speed across multiple laser material processing tasks. This approach offers a software-based solution to overcome fundamental physical limitations in galvanometric scanning systems, enabling more efficient and precise laser manufacturing processes.

Contributing Authors

  • Pawel Garkusha
    Technical University of Munich
  • Michael F Zaeh
    Technical University of Munich
Pawel Garkusha
Technical University of Munich
Track: AI/Modeling/Monitoring Track
Session: AI/Modeling/Monitoring - TBD
Day of Week: Undetermined
Date/Time:
Location:

Keywords

  • Job Optimization
  • Scanner Dynamics
  • Surface Structuring
  • Trajectory Planning
  • Ultra Fast Laser Material Processing