(This post is mostly excerpted from the paper, “Beam shaping with diffractive optical elements for bipolar plates ” appearing in Laser Focus World.) Each fuel cell used in electric vehicles consists of several hundred bipolar plates that separate the membrane electrode assemblies and include channels for a coolant. The bipolar plate itself is composed … Continue reading
Laser processes are often used in the production of solar panels. Top hat beam shapers are used to enhance quality, throughput, and efficiency of various laser ablation and scribing processes used in solar panel production. The role of top hat laser beam shapers in the energy transition In the past decade, we all became more … Continue reading
The rising demand for Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screens resulted in a search for better laser-based film cutting solutions that require higher power and better processing quality. One of the problems that manufacturers are currently facing is reducing the Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) next to the edges of the cut. One solution to mitigate this … Continue reading
A beam shaper top hat is a diffractive optical element (DOE) that alters the phase of an incoming Gaussian beam into a flat top-shaped energy distribution. This article will discuss the beam shaper top hat’s qualities and when it is advised to use such a device. Introduction to beam shaping optics Nowadays, the advancements in … Continue reading
A top hat output beam has a uniform, focused intensity distribution with a well-defined shape and size, as well as sharp edges. This article explains how to obtain such an illumination profile with a laser beam. Introduction to top hat output A top hat output from an optical system including a laser beam describes the … Continue reading
Additive manufacturing in a nutshell Additive Manufacturing (AM) refers to a variety of techniques in which material layers are added on top of one another in a computer-controlled process to form three-dimensional (3D) objects. This process uses CAD or another automated method to produce the 3D model. AM differs from traditional “subtractive manufacturing” where material … Continue reading