Innovative High Precision Linear Motor Drive Laser Cutting Machines developed by CHMER
Increasing demand on laser processing applications
Promotor of innovative industrial processes
The development of the manufacturing industry is moving forward in recent years, and the processing methods are also changed significantly. Not only the processing efficiency needs to be greatly improved, but also the product quality needs to have a qualitative leap. In response to the needs of industrial development, laser processing technology has played an important role in the manufacturing industry. Laser is a pure-color, collimated, high-brightness, coherent, high-energy-density photon beam. It is known as "the fastest knife", "the most accurate ruler", and "the brightest light". Laser processing technology has promoted the process innovation, product differentiation and value added in the manufacturing industry.
As the demand of processing equipment for consumer electronics, new energy, and printed circuit boards continues to grow, the global laser automation equipment market is also growing rapidly. Among them, high-power metalworking is still the largest application in the overall laser industry. With the increasing demand from optoelectronic semiconductors, fine processing will be gradually emphasized.
CHMER entered the field of high precision laser cutting to overcome the problem of the industry relying on imported equipment
In response to the industrial demand, the international laser industry and technology began to focus on the development of process requirements for the applications in 5G, semiconductors, and smart vehicles. Although the domestic laser industry has been developing in recent years, in order to be in line with the international level, laser technology and applications need to be more intensively developed. The import value of Taiwan's overall laser equipment is around NT$22 billion, which is 10 times of the export value, among them, the import value of semiconductor laser equipment accounts for more than 50%. If Taiwan's laser equipment can be developed locally, and can improve the efficiency of advanced domestic industry processing and technology research and development, establish a mature domestic laser processing equipment supply chain, and provide complete processing technology solutions, starting from Taiwan and then to the world, it could bring huge business opportunities for Taiwanese equipment manufacturers.
CHMER, the No. 1 brand in Taiwan’s EDM industry, feels sorry that most Taiwan’s precision laser equipment is dependent on imports. Therefore it stepped into the laser industry and innovatively developed laser processing equipment to develop high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machines suitable for precision component processing. The applications cover electronics, aerospace and medical industries. With 46 years of experience in developing precision electrical discharge machining and wire-cutting machines, CHMER has rich experience in manufacturing processing equipment for high precision molds and parts, and has owned the key technology in research & development and made-in-house capabilities of high precision machining, including linear motor drive, high efficiency power supply systems, intelligent controllers, etc. These key technologies can also apply on the precision laser cutting machines, which require high precision on parts cutting.
The laser technology mainly has three applications in the material processing, i.e. laser marking, laser cutting, and laser welding. Laser cutting is achieved by using the high power density energy generated by laser focusing. The beam of specific energy density generated by the laser is transmitted and reflected through the optical path and focused on the surface of the workpiece through the focusing lens to form a high energy density spot that melts or vaporizes the processed material at an instantaneous high temperature.
Laser cutting has outstanding advantages, such as high precision, high yield, fast speed and low production cost. At present, laser processing is developing in the direction of intelligence and automation, integrating mechanics, electronics, control, and artificial intelligence. The integration capability is one of the strengths of CHMER innovative research & development.
The high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machines developed by CHMER realize high precision cutting
Laser is the photons, generated by external energy to excite the medium in the resonant cavity, being amplified and output through the structure of the resonant cavity. The output laser beam, controlled by different action time lengths, is used for processing, inspection, detection, image processing and other work. There are more than one type of laser cutting. It can use different media to produce lasers with different wavelengths, so the range of applications, characteristics and functions are different.
| ▲Fig. 1 PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine developed by CHMER, realizes high precision cutting. |
The high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machines developed by CHMER is equipped with the most advanced fiber laser, which is specially used for high reflective materials and complex processing, meeting the precision parts processing needs of electronics, such as fine SMT steel plates, heat sinks, motors, aerospace, such as turbine blades, filters, medical, such as high precision medical equipment, metalworking, such as PCD cutting tools, and other industries.
| ▲Fig. 2 The cutting samples of PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine. |
The PL series is equipped with a fiber laser source, a precision laser cutting head and a quick-response height control system to ensure that the processing accuracy of complex shapes can reach ±10µm for the thickness within 1mm. It is also quipped with an intelligent controller, including software and hardware, developed and manufactured by CHMER. The intelligent functions include simulated processing, intuitive parameter adjustment, friendly HMI, remote monitoring services (monitoring the processing screen through mobile devices). Optional iConnected information management center developed by CHMER can view machine processing history, maintenance notices, utilization rate analysis, etc. in real time. With robots and automatic warehousing systems, it can realize automated operations. The PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine, actively meets the industry's precision processing and smart manufacturing needs.
| ▲Fig. 3 Different lasers and their effects. |
CHMER also observed the demand for ultra-fast laser processing in semiconductor equipment and the electronics industry. When the laser acts on the material with a pulse time of picosecond or femtosecond, the processing effect will be significantly changed. Femtosecond lasers can be focused into an area smaller than the diameter of a hair. With the sharp increase in pulse energy, high-power-density laser pulses can easily move electrons from the atoms and forming plasma. Due to the extremely short interaction time between the laser and the material, the plasma has been burned out from the surface of the material before the energy is transferred to the surrounding material, so there is no thermal influence to the surrounding material. Besides, ultrafast lasers can process almost all materials, including metals, semiconductors, diamonds, sapphires, ceramics, polymers, composite materials and resins, photoresist materials, thin films, ITO films, glass, solar cells, etc.
In addition to the PL series, CHMER also launches blue laser welding machines, ultra-fast laser cutting machines for high precision machining on highly sensitive or brittle materials, such as copper, titanium, silicon carbide, PCD, etc. Among them, high precision linear motor drive femtosecond laser cutting machines, SL Series, adopt a short-pulse femtosecond level laser system. By means of precise control of laser beam intensity, time, pulse energy, etc., the material absorbs short pulse light energy in a short time, then vaporizes in a small area, and can achieve micron (μm) level high precision processing quality for ceramic materials, PI films, composite materials, and thin metals commonly used in the semiconductor industry, electronics industry, and medical industry.
| ▲Fig. 4 The cutting samples of high precision linear motor drive femtosecond laser cutting machines, SL series |
PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine, won double awards. Innovation has been proved
CHMER develops core key technologies, and adopts the policy of made-in-house and made-in-Taiwan to strengthen the global competitiveness of Taiwanese products. High precision linear motor drive laser cutting machines, PL series, are based on the design concept of "innovation, intelligence, efficiency, and environmental protection". It owns a number of patents to achieve precision cutting, including the patented cantilever structure driven by the center of gravity, which improves the flexibility of processing and movement; patented made-in-house linear motor drive, which provides excellent motion accuracy and achieves high-efficiency processing; patented vacuum device on laser cutting head, which adds processing safety and environmental protection.
PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine, won the highest honor of the 29th Taiwan Excellence Gold Award, demonstrating the high precision and intelligent innovation of Taiwanese equipment. In the 15th Machine Tool "Research and Development of Innovative Products" in the TIMTOSxTMTS 2022 stood out among many entries, and won the excellent award in Other CNC Machine Tools. The two awards were double honors. The innovation strength of CHMER shines! Precision and intelligent machinery can realize advanced manufacturing processes. CHMER is committed to improving the efficiency of advanced manufacturing processes and technology research and development in domestic industries, and hopes to become a good partner in laser processing industry.
| ▲Fig. 5 PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine, won the 29th Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. The award was presented by Mei-Hua Wang, Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs, and received by Brad Wang, general manager of CHMER. |
| ▲Fig. 6 PL6880, high precision linear motor drive laser cutting machine, won the excellent award in “Other CNC Machine Tools” category in "Research and Development of Innovative Products". The award was presented by Canwen Wei, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry, and received by Brad Wang, general manager of CHMER. |
CHMER is a professional manufacturing and service provider of molds and parts processing equipment. It markets globally with its own brand CHMER, and is committed to becoming a world-class leading brand in non-traditional machining solutions. Besides the wire cut EDMs, die sinker EDMs, small hole drilling EDMs, and high speed milling machines, it also invests in the development of electrochemical processing equipment, and actively innovates in the development of laser machines to enter a new era of CHMER non-traditional processing product lines.