Reflection Diagnosis Helps Quality Assurance for Laser Plastic Welding

LPKF can measure higher reflection values in the case of incomplete welding.

Although laser plastic welding generally produces fewer errors, full reliability requires dependable verification. LPKF LaserWelding division has now added reflection diagnosis to its existing range of quality assurance methods. Reflection diagnosis makes use of the physical effect of light reflection at boundary surfaces. Before the welding process takes place, there are two boundaries between the components. When light, including laser light, impinges on these boundaries, a certain amount of light can be reflected. Areas that have been welded together have no such double boundary and the amount of reflected light is reduced.

This method also allows the quality of a welded seam to be evaluated during the actual welding process and can help reduce reject rates and deliver robust quality documentation for each individual component.

Reflection diagnosis complements existing quality assurance systems such as melt travel monitoring, pyrometer testing and burn detection. Depending upon the specifics of each product, the various methods can be implemented to allow full tracking and tracing of individual components.

As of fall 2010, reflection diagnosis will be available as an option on LPKF welding systems.

Tags: laser plastic welding, LPKF, reflection diagnosis