Lasers were once a spotlight for science fiction, but now they are streamlining the manufacturing industry. Projections have been showing that “Fibre Laser Cutting” is still on the rise and expected to become a key player in the Ultra Hard Material Cutting Machine market, which was originally anticipated to be a 1.8 billion dollar industry by 2024.
For more than 30 years, lasers have been challenging the stamping and punching manufacturing industry and could soon be the industry standard. And now thanks to scientific breakthroughs with Fibre Lasers, we’re seeing ultra-hard material cutting machines specifically are making waves and expanding into even more industries such as mining, defence, semiconductors, and electronics. Fibre laser technologies are known to be about 30 times quicker than electrical discharge machines and are expected to find exceptionally high preference as the pricing comes down through product development and added market competition.
Our Laser Cooling Flow Switch
With many high-powered lasers comes a need for displacing the amount of heat as a biproduct of the machine. Our time-tested and highly popular LPH Series flow switch offers the accuracy, dependability and durability required by many liquid cooling systems for laser machines. Designed to sense high and low flow conditions, these flow switches can be used in both manual and programmable linear controllers. The LPH flow switch is economical, compact and customisable to meet application demands whilst offering superior performance output.
These flow switches can be installed in coolant lines and lubrication systems to ensure that vital areas are receiving adequate lubricant or coolant flow (where pressure gauges cannot). Flow of industrial gases (Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, etc) can be detected and signalled by the flow switch.
How Does a Flow Switch Work?
Again, taking our popular LPH Series non-adjustable flow switch as the example, when air or water flows through the unit it causes the magnetic piston to move up at the calibration point. This displacement is caused by the pressure differential from the media passing through the unit. The magnetic piston actuates a hermetically sealed reed switch, which is encapsulated in the body of the unit, outside of the media wetted flow path. Decreasing the flow below the calibration point causes the reed switch to de-actuate. The LPH series is a fixed set point flow switch that has a predetermined calibration point, designed to act primarily as an air flow switch or water flow switch.
Laser Industries and Applications
Many scientific, military, medical and commercial laser applications have been developed since the invention of the laser in 1958. The coherency, high monochromaticity and the ability to reach extremely high powers are all properties which allow for these specialised applications. Some of the laser applications we have seen can include:
- Scientific (Heat Treatment, Laser Cooling, Nuclear Fusion)
- Military & Defence (Targeting Systems, Firearms)
- Medical (Cosmetic Surgery, Laser Scalpel)
- Industrial & Commercial (Entertainment, Surveying)
Lasers generate an intense amount of heat that must be removed from the laser system to avoid overheating critical components and reduces stress on a laser system. Our liquid flow switches and flow monitors can be installed in-line in many laser systems’ liquid cooling loops, including:
- Recirculating Chillers
- Liquid-to-Liquid Cooling Systems
- Ambient Cooling Systems
- Cold Plates
- Heat Exchanges
Laser Technologies
A laser emits light of a single wavelength, focused down to a thin line or point. There are several ways of producing this light, the most common being solid-state crystals and gas (as well as diodes).
- Solid-state lasers are “optically pumped” to stimulate emission. Broadband light (many wavelengths) illuminates a crystal which responds by emitting light of a single wavelength. Increasingly, beauty & spa applications employ lasers with erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) crystals which emit infra-red (IR) light.
- Gas lasers use a slightly different principle. Electricity raises the energy level of nitrogen atoms which are brought into contact with cold helium gas, triggering IR emission.
Er:YAG and CO2 lasers need cooling systems. These are predominantly liquid based although some air-cooled YAG lasers are available. Reliability is a key parameter in component selection: should the laser get too hot it will stop working and could suffer expensive damage.
A suitable flow monitor or flow switch quickly detects problems in a cooling system and can be used to safely shut down laser operation. We have a full range of flow switches, available in a broad range of construction materials, flow ranges, connection sizes, switch types and more.
Choosing the Right Flow Switch
When it comes to selecting a suitable flow switch, there is no one “right” choice for every situation. The ideal flow switch will depend on the specific application, operating parameters and desired function required by the end user. Click here to visit our full guide on how you can select the right flow switch for your application.
Other Flow Monitors and Flow Meters
Whether you require fixed set point (non-adjustable) or adjustable flow switches, continuous flow monitors or flow meters, we can help you with a suitable solution. To explore our full range of flow monitoring products, please visit our category page here.
Our partner, ChemTec, is a respected industry leader serving the global low flow monitoring market for more than 50 years. Working together we have built strong advantages over the market competition with our unmatched quality, durability, customer satisfaction, and fast turn-around time on both standard and custom units. All ChemTec products are designed, engineered, and manufactured in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
For technical support on selecting the right component for your application, get in touch with our experienced engineers here. Couldn’t find what you were looking for? Why not click here to explore our full range of products, services and solutions to learn more.