Transformed: battery production and surface heat treatments
High-efficiency diode lasers from Laserline look set to become pivotal for the nascent local battery industry as incentives under the government’s Future Made in Australia Act and its National Battery Strategy are realised by industry.
Economical, modular, high-power diode lasers from Laserline are raising the bar for efficiency in surface heat treatments which are vital to many manufacturing processes. These include hardening, curing powder coatings, and drying offset colours – as well as drying fuel cells and battery foils.
Drying electrodes for lithium-ion batteries is the most expensive step in the batteries’ production – incurring about 20% of the cost – so the latest efficiencies of laser drying could revolutionise battery production and other surface heat treatments.
Laserline’s new OTX range of optics and its high-efficiency diode lasers together create extra-wide beams of 1.5metres or more that are ideal for heat-treating large surfaces as required for electrode-drying in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries.
Energy efficiencies
Dr Cedric Chaminade, Technical Director and physicist at Raymax Applications which distributes Laserline’s diode lasers, says Raymax is excited to be supplying this technology to the ANZ region where governments are backing manufacturing innovations towards clean energy and net zero.
“Many manufacturers whose processes use heat treatments will find drying with diode lasers is far more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly compared to the now widely used convection oven drying,” says Dr Chaminade.
The semiconductor-based, direct conversion of mains power into laser radiation without fossil fuels also enables precise use of energy, making it far more efficient than gas-based convection ovens and high-maintenance infrared lamps.
“In a world facing gas shortages and rising energy costs, diode laser-based drying could replace convective drying and has the potential to revolutionise electrode manufacturing for lithium-ion batteries.”
“The ability of the LDF range to focus the laser beam and to switch it on and off within a fraction of a second, enables such an exacting use of energy that a minimum is introduced to the job as needed by the drying process,” says Dr Chaminade, “So the process could be an energy-saving game-changer for the emerging battery industry in Australia.”
Laserline has optimised its diode lasers for higher wall-plug efficiency to beat conventional technologies (gas ovens) in terms of running costs. “Diode lasers feature high wall-plug efficiency of about 50% – or the ratio of optical output power to the input electrical power – which is a far cleaner and more efficient power use than alternatives such as gas or infra-red lamps.”
High powered lasers
These high-powered diode lasers, based on Laserline’s 25 years of patented technology, offer scalable laser power from 15kW upgradable to 30 kW on-site; up to 50kW is also available. Power efficiency features include minimal energy waste and instant temperature control because no pre-heating is needed and temperatures are controlled by a closed-loop, remote-sensing thermometer.
In demonstrations in Germany, the energy efficiencies of laser systems configured with convection dryers for faster throughput have created energy savings of 19%. Energy savings will increase as wall-plug efficiencies continue to improve too.
“The icing on the cake is the quality of the final job is also improved by the process,” says Dr Chaminade.
Treating big areas
System upgrades can be done on-site to 30kW and systems are also separately available at up to 50kW to achieve power densities needed to dry larger areas.
Laserline’s new optics product – OTX –in combination with its diode lasers, enables industrial heat treatment of large surfaces to be tailored to users’ needs, with beam widths of more than 1.5 meters possible. This ultra-wide beam technology is successfully used in the roll-to-roll process for electrode-drying for lithium-ion batteries.
The laser-drying process also offers efficiencies for fuel cell production, curing powder coatings, and drying offset printing inks among other processes. A further bonus is the technology is almost maintenance-free.
Visit Laserline at our partner page or contact us for more information.*
Civan: Shipbuilding with Civan raises the steel bar
Welding thick-section steel can be 40% faster and use 60% less energy when Dynamic Beam Lasers (DBL) from Civan is used instead of hybrid welding. These are just two of many remarkable results of a collaborative study by shipbuilder Fincantieri and welding systems firm Castellini which show DBL technology is set to revolutionise shipbuilding and has the potential to transform thick-section welding for other manufacturing industries.
Hybrid welding, which combines laser and Metal Inert Gas/Metal Active Gas MIG/MAG technologies, is the current advanced approach for thick-section welding in shipyards. Improvements in welding go a long way because ships often require 300 to 600 kilometres of weld seams to ensure structural integrity.
John Grace, physicist and Managing Director of Raymax Applications which distributes Civan equipment in ANZ, believes the control and power now provided by DBLs not only welds thick sections faster but is more economical and sustainable.
“Unlike traditional lasers, which produce a fixed beam, Dynamic Beam Lasers can dynamically adjust the beam’s shape, intensity, and size in real time. This flexibility, increased precision, and control, make them highly effective for welding thick sections of metal,” says John.
“And Civan’s lasers up to 120kW are now substantially smaller than the initial generation of 100-120kW CIVAN lasers.”
The Fincantieri-Castellini collaboration showed DBLs setting new standards for thick-section welding – compared with hybrid welding – by achieving:
- A 40% faster welding speed because DBL technology drastically accelerated the welding process for Fincantieri. DBL technology reduces the need for the preheating that’s often necessary in hybrid welding to ensure proper hardness when welding thick sections. DBL technology is faster and reduces energy consumption – therefore it’s also cheaper. Doubled weldable thickness also speeds the process.
- Doubled weldable thickness – DBLs opened new possibilities for ship and steel design and construction. In hybrid welding, a single-pass weld typically needs to be followed by multiple MIG or MAG passes to achieve the right thickness. DBL technology can weld up to 30 mm in a single pass.
- Reduced heat-affected zone and distortion because laser welding transfers far less heat to the workpiece giving a better weld quality and better mechanical properties. This minimises the need for large fixturing and the risk of misalignment, again saving time.
- 60% reduction in energy used: DBL technology offers significant energy savings and supports Fincantieri’s sustainability goals.
- A massive 90% reduction in use of filler material: the need for expensive fillers was nearly eliminated.
- Minimised use of protective gases, which have been a big cost factor in traditional welding.
This collaboration shows how Civan’s DBLs, when integrated into Fincantieri’s production processes, set a new benchmark for welding thick steel sections compared to hybrid welding, to make shipbuilding faster, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable. The same can be done for other industries that rely on thick section steel welding.
Hear more about Civan DBLs’ remarkable results – by calling Civan’s ANZ distributor, Raymax, on (+612) 9979 7646 or visit our partner page.
Kwan-Tek: Shedding light on quantum physics education
In a world clamouring for quantum physicists – in industry, government, and education – French firm Kwan-Tek has created a hands-on, model lab for quantum physics education for students from undergraduate to experienced professionals to PhD level.
The company came up with KWANTEACH, a ‘lab on a table’ that can be directly manipulated and experimented upon. Students can watch and understand the processes in real time and at room temperature, without complex laser or vacuum systems. The lab and its manual are modular and customisable to train people at all levels.
Distributed in ANZ by Raymax Applications, KWANTEACH exploits the simplicity of the nitrogen vacancy colour centre of a diamond – a remarkable quantum system in itself – to demonstrate quantum sensing, quantum computing and simulation, and quantum communication.
Dr Cedric Chaminade, Technical Director and physicist at Raymax Applications, believes the model lab can be used to not only cover most tenets of quantum physics but also to promote the importance of system engineering which is essential for engineers to understand.
“Unlike simulators, KWANTEACH is a practical tool for teaching, learning and research in universities, graduate schools and any organisations offering professional development for corporate engineers who need to stay on top of quantum engineering and the opportunities it presents,” says Cedric.
“The KWANTEACH lab gives access to a dozen experimental activities, all detailed in the teacher’s manual provided to guide the academics from theoretical principles to experimental protocols and measurements in a fun, educational way so students grasp the concepts of quantum sciences,” he says.
KWANTEACH sheds light on a huge range of educational applications: optical manipulation and basic physics concepts such as magnetic resonance, fine and hyperfine interactions in atoms, as well as more complex problems such as the Zeeman effect, Rabi oscillations, Ramsey fringes, longitudinal relaxation time and transverse coherence time.
KWANTEACH sheds light on a huge range of educational applications: optical manipulation and basic physics concepts such as magnetic resonance, fine and hyperfine interactions in atoms, as well as more complex problems such as the Zeeman effect, Rabi oscillations, Ramsey fringes, longitudinal relaxation time and transverse coherence time.
Transformational
“This open, intuitive model transforms the way quantum physics is taught, and that’s been well demonstrated at the University of Paris-Sarclay.”
The Paris university was looking for a way to make quantum physics training more concrete and interactive.
“The best way to learn is by making mistakes,” says Edwin Kermarrec, Senior Lecturer at Paris-Sarclay.
“With KWANTEACH, students can rearrange the product, understand their mistakes and correct them themselves.”
Students at the Paris university are now more engaged and are gaining deeper understanding from seeing processes as they happen.
PhD student, Kyriakia Samioti, says one of strengths of KWANTEACH is that “you can see the beam passing through, which makes the physics more understandable and didactic.”
The model lab is a set of building blocks or enabling technologies such as lasers, photodetectors, electronics, vacuum technologies, cryogenics, optical fibre, and nanofabrication. The building blocks can be assembled to experiment on concepts in the manual or as adapted by a teacher to train the next generation of quantum physicists and engineers.
Kwan-Tek, which manufactures the quantum education platform, KWANTEACH, develops metrology solutions for industry and research organisations. The French company’s technology is based on diamond quantum sensors and optical interrogation of a nitrogen vacancy (NV) defect in a diamond. This enables highly accurate measurements of magnetic fields. Kwan-Tek’s other NV sensors control high field fluctuations and temperatures. Its metrology solutions are designed for non-destructive testing in the energy, aeronautics and defence, and metallurgical industries.
For more about the physics lab on a table, ask Raymax on (+61 2) 9979 7646 or visit our partner page.
FOBA: Advanced laser marking beats labelling
Stringent guidelines for unique, immutable, and reliable product and parts identification are being met with lasers because of clear advantages in fully automated, compliant marking, and highly efficient processes.
FOBA’s V-Series UV laser fulfils increasing demands for simply better marking that suits a wide range of plastics and is optimised for the material-specific challenges of electronic components.
Electronic parts such as sensors for managing batteries in vehicles must be marked due to regulations for traceability, for product safety, and as an anti-counterfeit measure. More extensive marking is often sought, too, because operating instructions are now frequently given as codes on the product.
Chris Lay, product specialist at Raymax Applications which distributes FOBA in Australia and New Zealand, says demands on product and parts marking are growing for more content, better quality, and more efficient processes with greater flexibility.
“And yet calls for better quality and higher resolution marking continues because components keep getting smaller,” says Chris.
Flexibility in automated marking processes is extremely valuable when content needs to respond to regulatory or market changes, some of which require individual component traceability. FOBA’s MarkUS software which controls the laser and vision system, makes it easy to change marking content.”
“Metals are easily marked with lasers but plastics’ variety of compositions and colours is challenging. FOBA’s V-Series achieves results for many electronic plastic components’ specifications, such as being laser-weldable, flame-retardant or flame-resistant”.
Unlike labelling, laser marking is durable and stays legible despite harsh conditions and resists further production steps, such as cleaning processes.
Gentle, focused power
Many plastics can be marked with a typical fibre laser wavelength of 1064 nm but that’s not optimally absorbed by all kinds of plastic. NIR fibre lasers (at 1064nm) often reach marking limits, especially with plastics in electronic components or when additives sometimes can’t be added to improve laser absorption.
Whereas FOBA’s V-Series, such as the V.0042-uv, with a wavelength of 355 nm, is a great fit for the material-specific challenges of most plastic parts.
“Its combination of optimally focused laser beam of high power and a pulse duration of 5 to 35 ns achieves a reliably readable colour change on a variety of plastics that cannot be marked with other lasers without additives,” says Chris.
“Sensitive surfaces can be marked gently yet reliably with FOBA’s UV-Series laser because the marking results from a photochemical effect with minimal heat input.”
A laser-integrated vision system provides automated mark positioning as well as fast and easy quality assurance through features such as optical character verification and code verification.
Manufacturers taking advantage of laser marking with FOBA’s V-Series UV laser will achieve high marking quality with low operating costs, use fewer consumables and minimise maintenance, service and material changes. A compact design and various options aid a seamless fit into production environments. As for the future: marking lasers are ideal for automation and digitisation.
Have your questions about FOBA’s equipment answered by calling Raymax (+61 2) 9979 7646 or visit our partner page.
