Electric Vehicles (EVs)

As the automotive industry transitions from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EV), more EVs will be manufactured over the coming years. As a result, components unique to EVs must also be built in mass quantities. Some examples are batteries, electric motors and power electronics which can be manufactured in high-volume, high-quality and low-cost with lasers and photonics solutions.

Lasers Enable Next-Generation Component Design and Manufacturing

Welding Ablating Cutting
High Precision
Flexible & complex patterns
Less spatter/debris
Less surrounding damage
Speed
Contact-free

MKS Solutions for EV Electric Motor and Power Electronics Manufacturing

MKS offers many solutions to enable laser welding and ablating processes for electric motors and power electronics, which are described below. For more information about solutions for laser manufacturing of next-generation Li-Ion batteries, please see Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing.

Challenges in EV Electronics Manufacturing MKS Solutions
Maximizing throughput Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling
Maximizing manufacturing yield Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling
Improving motor & electronics packaging reliability High-power optics to manage lasers
High-precision opto-mechanics and motion control

Your Partner for EV Manufacturing

  • 50+ years and thousands of laser systems for industrial applications
  • Long-term partner to electronics manufacturing companies
  • Full range of products: beam profilers, sensors, optics, opto-mechanics, meters, positioners
    • Proven performance
    • Product availability
  • Ability to scale with you
  • Global corporation and presence

Laser Optics

Beam Analysis

Motion Control

Opto-Mechanics
  • CO2 laser optics and coatings
  • 1-micron optics and coatings
  • Sub-assemblies
  • High power laser thermal sensors
  • High power beam profilers
  • Laser power/energy meters
  • Linear positioners
  • Vertical positioners
  • Rotary positioners
  • Actuators
  • Advanced motion controllers
  • Mirror mounts
  • Lens positioners
  • Prism mounts
  • Manual positioners
  • Posts and pedestals

Beam Analysis

Power level and focus quality of a laser beam directly influence the quality of cutting, welding, and ablating in EV manufacturing, therefore it is important to frequently monitor your laser power and beam quality delivered to the sample and ultimately to the location of the laser micromachining process. Laser power meters and beam profilers are often used as diagnostic tools either off-line or in-line to ensure your laser is always working within optimized specifications in production.

beamwatch
BeamWatch Integrated provides a full range of measurement results.

Causes of Laser System Degradation

  • Thermal Effects
  • Debris from Process
  • Vibrations and Shock
Figure 1. As the laser emerges from the laser source (left), it runs through a variety of laser delivery components, such as free-space optics and process fibers, which can change the power levels and beam profile (center). The laser beam next moves through the laser processing head. Mirrors and lenses and cover glass can also have a significant impact on power levels, size, and shape (right).

Criteria for Selecting Beam Analysis Instruments

Sensor / Detector
Sensors / Detectors
Power Meter
Power Meters
Beam Profiler
Beam Analysis
  • Compatible with laser wavelength
  • Power/energy range/density
  • Beam size
  • Not water-cooled (in some cases
  • Compatible with sensor
  • Connect to system/PC
  • Track data over time
  • Compare multiple measurements
  • Measurement of multiple attributes
  • Focal shift
  • Focal spot size
  • Laser power and power density
  • Changes over time
  • Laser propagation characteristics
  • Speed of measurement

Helios™ Plus High Power Sensor: Designed to be integrated into production stations to measure high power industrial lasers quickly to avoid downtime.

Helios™ Plus
Spectral Range 450-550 nm and 900-1100 nm Helios Plus Industrialized Laser Power Sensor
Power Range 50 W to 12 kW
Energy Range 100 J to 5 kJ
Max Beam Diameter 35 mm
Response Time 3 sec
Communication Protocol Options Profinet
Ethernet/IP
EtherCAT
RS-232
Other Features Not water cooled
Meter not required
Compact, industrial package

IPM-10KW Industrial High Power Sensor: Modular industrial sensor system for high-power lasers in production, field service or R&D.

IPM-10KW
Spectral Range 900-1100 nm, 10.6 µm
Power Range 100 W to 11 kW
Energy Range 60 J to 10 kJ
Max Beam Diameter 45 mm
Response Time 2.7 sec
Communication Protocol Options Profinet (external module)
Ethernet/IP (external module)
RS-232
Other Features Water cooled
Automated shutter (external module)
Rugged, industrial package
Safety interlock output

Ariel™ All-In-One High Power Sensor: Measures high power industrial lasers in closed and confined spaces.

Ariel™
Spectral Range 450-550 nm, 900-1100 nm, 2.94 & 10.6 µm OP-aspherelens-S
Power Range 200 mW to 8 kW
Energy Range Up to 2.4 kJ
Max Beam Diameter 22 mm for Gaussian beam
Response Time 3 sec
Interface Options Built-in display
Bluetooth
USB
Other Features Not water cooled
Battery powered (>15 hrs life)
Detachable diffuser
Compact, industrial package

High Power "Puck" Thermal Sensors

Kilowatt range power measurement capability and very high damage thresholds


5000W-LP2-50

FL600A-BB-65
Spectral Range 350 to 2200 nm 190 to 11000 nm
Power Range 20 to 5000 W 5 to 600 W
Maximum Average Power Density 2.5 kW/cm2 7 kW/cm2
Aperture Ø50 mm Ø65 mm
Response Time 3 s 4 s
Cooling Water-cooled Fan-cooled
Other Features Cable to connect to meter or PC included

Power Meters

Ophir laser power and energy meters work on the smart plug principle. This means that almost any power meter can work – plug and play – with almost any of the wide range of Ophir optical sensors.

Power Meters Virtual Power Meters
centauri
Centauri
StarBright
StarBright Handheld
Juno+
Juno+
EA-1
EA-1
  • Extensive graphic displays on 7-in full color touchscreen display
  • Advanced measurement processing
  • Single- or dual-channel versions
  • USB and RS-232 interfaces, with user-friendly software application
  • Analog and TTL output
  • External trigger input
  • Portable use
  • For transmission checks "in the field"
  • Variety of measurement modes and displays
  • USB & RS-232 interfaces
  • USB connection to use PC as monitor
  • User-friendly software
  • Extensive graphic displays of data
  • Advanced measurement processing
  • Data logging
  • Ethernet adapter enables remote control and monitoring of sensor
  • Telnet, HTTP and UDP protocols supported
  • Interact with sensor through custom software or MKS user-friendly software
  • Data logging

Laser Beam Profilers

BeamWatch® Integrated High Power Beam Profiler: designed to measure all critical laser beam parameters on industrial production lines.

BeamWatch Integrated
Spectral Range 980-1080 nm BeamWatch
Power Range 500 to 9999 W (30 kW on Request)
Max Beam Diameter 12.5 mm
Communication Protocol Options Gigabit Ethernet (GigE)
Profinet
Ethernet/IP
CC-Link
Other Features Patented non-contact measurement
Real-time monitoring of beam profile
Sensor for absolute power readings
ISO-compliant measurement results
Fully automated operation

SP932U Beam Profiling Camera: High resolution, real-time viewing and measuring of laser structure with highest accuracy in the industry

SP932U
Spectral Range 190-1100 nm (Optimized for NIR & Nd:YAG) SP932U
Damage Threshold 50 W/cm2
1 J/cm2, <100 ns pulse width
Beam Sizes 34.5 µm – 5.3 mm
Pixels 2048 x 1536 Effective Pixels
3.45 µm Pixel Size
PC Interface USB 3.0
Other Features BeamGage® software included
UltraCal™ correction algorithm
Measures cross-sectional intensity
72 dB true dynamic resolution
24 Hz frame rate in 12-bit mode
A variety of attenuators available

Optics

1 µm Optics

These 1 μm high power fiber laser optics feature maximum focus stability and minimum aberrations, by using advanced manufacturing technologies, for high optical performance.

High-Energy Singlet Spherical Lenses
Fiberlens™ Aspheric Lenses
High Power Windows
High Power Windows
Wavelengths 1030-1090 nm
Pulsed Damage Threshold 20 J/cm2
Reflectivity per Surface < 0.2%
Diameters 12 to 300 mm 21.5 to 55 mm
Effective Focal Lengths 20 to 500 mm N/A
Shapes Aspherical-Plano
Aspherical-Spherical
Aspherical-Aspherical
Plano
Substrate Material High Purity UV Fused Silica
Other Features Coating can be adjusted for other wavelengths (e.g., 266, 356, 532 nm)
Collimating & Focusing Assemblies
Collimating & Focusing Assemblies
  • Compatible with leading OEM lasers
  • Standard products for 100-, 125-, 150- and 200-mm focal lengths
  • Customization upon request

CO2 Laser Lenses

The focusing lens is the last optic in the CO2 laser path, before it hits the workpiece. Its main role is to focus the laser beam to a specific focal length depending on the application. Therefore, the focal length dictated by the radiuses and curvatures of the lens is its most important feature. In order to ensure that your laser operates at maximum efficiency it is crucial to select the right lens. The type to be used with each machine is usually specified in the machine manufacturer's manual. We offer a wide range of standard and custom lenses assuring that the most suitable and effective lens be fitted to your laser cutting machine.

CO2 Laser Lenses
Coating Duralens™ Black Magic™ Clear Magic™
Wavelength 10.6 µm
Transmission >99.3% >99.35% >99.37%
Absorption <0.2% <0.15% <0.13%
Reflection <0.2% <0.25% <0.25%
Diameters 1.1 to 2.5 in. 1.1 to 2.5 in. 1.1 to 2.0 in.
Shapes Plano-Convex
Meniscus
Substrate Material ZnSe
Other Features Compatible with CO2 lasers in the kW range

CO2 Beam Delivery Mirrors

In the beam delivery section of a CO2 laser cutting machine, the laser beam is transferred from the laser cavity to the working head. These CO2 optical mirrors feature specific properties like very high reflectivity and tight phase shift tolerance.

Beam Delivery Mirrors
Wavelength 10.6 µm
Types Zero Phase Shift
90° Phase Shift
Telescopic
Absorbing Thin Film Reflector (ATFR)
Reflectivity 98% to 99.85%
Reflection <0.2%
Diameters 1 to 3 in.
Substrate Material Copper or Silicon

CO2 Laser Windows

These high transmittance and low absorption protective ZnSe optical windows for CO2 lasers are used either for protecting sensitive and/or expensive optics, or for separating areas with different gas pressures.

CO2 Laser Windows
Wavelength 10.6 µm
Reflectivity <0.25%
Transmission >99.3%
Absorption <0.15% or <0.2%
Diameters 1 to 2.5 in.
Substrate Material ZnSe

Opto-Mechanics

Criteria for Selecting Optical Mounts

  • Resolution/Sensitivity
  • Long Term Stability
  • Lockable
  • Size and Shape

Optical component mounts are needed to hold and adjust optics. Long term stability and low drift is crucial. Minimizing drift caused by vibrations or thermal drift over time will ensure laser alignment to the desired spot and also reduce any potential downtime due to misalignment and errors. Having a locking mechanism on these mounts can also prevent misalignment of the beam, especially during shipping and also if anything else happens during usage.

HVM industrial mounts are recommended for robust long term usage in compact space. The Suprema® mirror mount is excellent for its stainless steel construction that gives better thermal performance than an aluminum mirror mount. Ultra-fine 254-TPI adjusters provide alignment sensitivity as low as 1.5 arc sec. For applications that are really concerned about the thermal changes that can be potentially caused by prolonged high powered laser usage, the ZeroDrift™ version will compensate for some thermal changes as well. For those mirror mounts that need to be set-and-forget for a long period of time, we recommend the MFM flexure mirror Mount. These are excellent for their small footprint so that machine size can be reduced.

Suprema
Suprema
Optic Diameters 0.5, 1 and 2 in.
Resolution 50, 100, 127 and 254 TPI
Angular Range ±7°
Material Stainless Steel
Drive Types Knob
Hex Key
Exchangeable Actuators
Lockable Versions Yes
Other Versions Clear-Edge
Front- and Rear-Loading
Right- and Left-Handed
Low Wavefront Distortion
ZeroDrift™
HVM-Series
HVM-Series
MFM-Series
MFM-Series
Optic Diameters 0.5, 1 and 2 in. 0.5, 0.75 and 1 in.
Resolution 80 and 100 TPI 80 and 100 TPI
Angular Range ±2.5°, ±3° and ±3.5° ±2.5°
Material Anodized Aluminum, Stainless Steel Stainless Steel
Drive Types Hex Key Hex Key
Lockable Versions Yes No
Other Features Front- and Rear-Loading Versions Shock Resistant
Front- and Rear-Loading Versions
Adhesive wells for permanent mounting
A-Line
A-Line
Compact
Compact
LP-Series
LP-Series
Optic Diameters 0.5 to 3 in. 0.5, 1 and 2 in. 0.5, 1 and 2 in.
Resolution - 100 TPI 100 TPI
Adjustments Fixed XY, XYZ, XYZθxθy XY, XYZ, XYZθxθy
Material Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
Other Features Self-aligning design
Large clear aperture
Compatible with A-Line alignment system
Adapters for other optics
Lockable positions
Zero-freeplay XY mechanism
True Gimbal adjustments
Independent non-influencing locks
Adapters for other optics

Motion Control

Guaranteed Motion Control Performance

  • Stages that MKS ships meet or exceed the guaranteed specifications
  • Metrology reports included with each stage (ASME B5.57 and ISO 230-2 standards)
  • Typically, the product will perform ~2x better than the guarantee

IDL-LM Series Linear Motor Positioners

Highest load capacity and speed of all linear motor positioners for demanding production environments

IDL-LM Series
Travel Range 100 to 1,200 mm
Speed 2 m/sec
Load Capacity 450 to 2,000 N
Pitch ±0.15 to ±0.65 µrad
Yaw ±0.15 to ±0.4 µrad
Accuracy ±2 to ±5 µm
Repeatability ±0.25 to ±0.5 µm
Other Features Ironless Linear Motor
Recirculating ball bearings
Industrial grade hard covers

Motion Controllers

XPS-D
XPS-D
XPS-RLD
XPS-RLD
  • High performance, complex motion trajectories
  • Up to 8 axes
  • Extensive analog and digital I/O
  • Can synchronize galvos and positioners
  • Best for the most demanding applications
  • High performance, complex motion trajectories
  • Up to 4 axes
  • Analog and digital I/O
  • Can synchronize galvos and positioners
  • Good for demanding R&D and low volume production