MULTI-STAGE LASER PROCESSING

Our customer approached us looking for a solution that required laser processing, part labelling and post-process inspection. The solution needed to support an initial low-volume (100-part batch), with a clear route to scale up to high-volume production (1 million parts per annuum on a 5×8 shift pattern).

The project had a number of key requirements:

• Ensure compatibility with specific and sensitive green light manufacturing conditions.
• Simplify process part loading and unloading.
• Automate the laser processing sequence as much as possible.
• Minimise the system footprint to fit the current production process.

Their requirements initially suggested a manual load and unload through a two-drawer shuttle system.

That initial concept formed the beginning of the scoping phase, one of the most valuable parts of a custom project. As we worked closely with the customer and learnt more about the application, we began to understand not just what our customer needs but why they needed it. This phase is critical for us as a supplier to uncover any existing challenges with previous equipment or processes, what’s important to them and where we can add value. This allows us to challenge the concept from all engineering angles and refine it as much as possible.

The final solution combined multiple process stages into a compact, single-flow and automated platform, incorporating:

• A continuous conveyorised internal process, effectively creating a mini production line in a box.
• High-magnification vision systems coupled with Watt Laser’s bespoke AOI algorithm for alignment and post-process inspection.
• Laser marking of parts for digital identification and traceability.
• Laser processing of a dedicated reference feature on every part, creating a repeatable datum for downstream calibration and quality verification.
• Automated control of defective parts into a dedicated reject drawer. These parts were permanently laser marked to ensure they cannot re-enter production.
• Automated control of incorrectly loaded parts into a dedicated reload station for retrieval and reprocessing, preventing downstream errors and potential scrap.
• Fully automated sequencing between each process stage, creating one seamless manufacturing workflow.
• Dual user interface comprising of a single operator touchscreen and a secondary display. Both interfaces are driven by a Watt Laser bespoke software application, providing live camera views, real-time job and part data, process monitoring and production yield information.

The end solution became a significantly more capable and automated manufacturing platform than anticipated, adding value at every step of the customer’s process without compromising their original vision or requirements. Like many of our custom projects, this also demonstrated the value of a collaborative partnership. Combining our expertise with the customer’s knowledge of their application often leads to opportunities and learning that neither of us would have uncovered on our own. Quite often, that takes a project in a direction the customer may not have originally considered, but one that ultimately delivers the best overall result and greater long-term value.