Expanding the field of view in micromachining

Aerotech, the specialist for motion control and positioning systems, will be exhibiting at Micronora 2022 in Besançon from 27 to 30 September, in Hall C on stand 306.

The IFOV function for expanding the field of view during laser scanning will be demonstrated on a demo system, as well as the latest features of the Automation1 control platform.

With over 800 exhibitors and trade visitors from more than 40 countries, Micronora is one of Europe's leading events for microtechnology, micronanotechnology and precision manufacturing. This year, the fair will be held ‘hybrid’ for the first time: On the digital platform ‘e.micronora’, both real and virtual visits to the fair can be planned, appointments made for visits and participation in accompanying specialist conferences and lectures.

“For Aerotech, Micronora, as a globally renowned niche trade fair, is an excellent address to demonstrate our in-depth know-how in microproduction and nanopositioning,” confirms Simon Smith, European director of Aerotech. “With our focus topics laser and measurement technology as well as additive manufacturing support around high-precision positioning systems in the nanometre range, we find the right trade audience at Micronora.”

Laser scanning without stitching

A central topic of the Micronora is also the production of micro actuators, micro sensors and micro displays. To improve structural accuracy and eliminate errors in ‘traditional’ stitching, for example, Aerotech says its proven Infinite Field of View (IFOV) feature is a unique and industry-leading solution for synchronising linear or rotary servo axes with laser scanners.

IFOV is said to significantly improve throughput, and eliminate seam errors and part quality issues caused by overlapping and mismatched laser processing. By combining the highly dynamic capabilities of galvo scanners with the travel range of servo stages, parts significantly larger than the traditional field of view of a scanner can be machined continuously without having to join individual work areas. One example of this is the production of OLED displays. One of the biggest challenges here is cutting out the individual displays from a much larger substrate.

Laser cutting has proven itself for this process step of micromachining. Since the laser spot size of galvanometer-based scanners is directly linked to the available working area, this poses a particular challenge: On the one hand, the speed of a galvo scanner is achieved, but on the other hand, the field of view is limited due to the laser spot size. Multi-scanner systems with IFOV controllers from Aerotech enable complex, large-area and highly dynamic laser processing between multiple axes and field-of-view expansion without the familiar stitching.

“Interested visitors can see how IFOV expands the field of view during scanning and at the same time increases throughput and quality live at our trade fair stand, 306 in Hall C,” says Smith.

All-in-one control platform

Another highlight is the new release 2.2 of the Automation1 motion control platform. Replacing Aerotech’s previous control platforms (A3200, Ensemble and Soloist), the Automation1 suite offers new, more powerful features in an easy-to-use architecture. The latest release, 2.2, builds on the previous versions but additionally impresses with features such as the highly anticipated Machine Apps HMI development tool.

This new and fully customisable tool replaces the previous CNC user interface and, according to Aerotech, promises to revolutionise user interfaces for drive systems. In addition, Automation1 is now EtherCAT compatible, enabling connectivity to PLC-based systems, thereby also expanding options for high-precision motion processes when embedded in a traditional lower-precision system.

“With the new release 2.2, Automation1 functions as a complete machine control system with all components and thus offers much more than a mere ‘motion control’.” says Smith.