VARIABLE COUPLING ROTATIONAL WAND FOR ONLINE LASER-BEAM SAMPLING

As power levels of industrial lasers increase, effective determination of beam profiles over extended operational regimes becomes problemati c, due to dynamic range limitations of available detectors. To address this deficiency, a variable coupling rotating wand was developed for on-line monitoring of output radiation from high average power CO2 las ers. The concept features real-time beam sampling adjustment, activate d by wand rotational speed change. An associated controller provides a ppropriate speed regulation of the wand motor drive, via a computer ge nerated setpoint. Design parameters thereby ensure optimal sensor oper ation at all power levels. A safety override prevents sensor damage by terminating laser operation, if wand speed decreases below a safe val ue.