Laser Spectroscopy Sensor Assembly with Position-Triggered Firing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Performing laser-based spectroscopic measurements on a target item with motion relative to a laser focal point is challenging in high-speed operations, as existing systems struggle to accurately and efficiently collect data in real-time, leading to increased waste and production costs due to time-consuming off-line testing.
Innovation Solution
A high-repetition rate laser spectroscopy system combined with a distance/proximity sensor assembly and a processing unit featuring a decision-making algorithm that selectively fires the laser and sorts spectroscopic signals based on the target's position within the interrogation zone, ensuring high-quality data collection even when the target is moving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous laser firing is used to maintain high measurement rate, then productivity is improved, but laser lifetime and thermal stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The laser operates in periodic pulsed mode rather than continuous mode, with pulses synchronized to the periodic passage of target objects through the interrogation zone. This allows the laser to remain ready to fire at high repetition capability while actually firing only during productive moments when a target is present, thus maintaining high measurement rate without continuous operation that would reduce lifetime and thermal stability.
2Productivity
If laser fires continuously at high repetition rate, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to thermal instability
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsed laser firing synchronized with target object passage, allowing the laser to cool between pulses and maintain thermal stability. The laser is triggered only when needed (when a target is detected by the position sensor), preventing continuous operation that would cause thermal drift and measurement inaccuracies, while still achieving high productivity through rapid sequential measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The position sensor provides feedback about target object location to the control system, which then triggers the laser only when a target is within the interrogation zone. This feedback mechanism ensures the laser fires at the optimal moment for each target passage, maximizing measurement quality while minimizing unnecessary firing that would generate heat and reduce precision.
3Measurement precision
If laser is triggered only when target is in focal region, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to selective firing
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines periodic pulsed laser operation with synchronization to the periodic passage of targets. The laser is triggered at specific moments when targets pass through the focal region, ensuring high measurement precision. Meanwhile, the high repetition rate capability allows the system to capture multiple targets in rapid succession, maintaining high overall productivity despite selective triggering.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical continuous scanning or tracking with a stationary laser and periodic triggering based on target passage detection. The position sensor detects when targets enter the interrogation zone, and the control system triggers the laser at these periodic moments, eliminating the need for continuous mechanical adjustment while maintaining both precision and productivity.
4Measurement precision
If off-line testing is used to ensure measurement accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration and setup during system installation, establishing the focal region and measurement parameters in advance. Once calibrated, the system operates in real-time with automated target detection and laser triggering, eliminating the need for time-consuming off-line testing during production while maintaining measurement precision through the pre-established optical configuration and real-time position sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual off-line testing with automated real-time optical measurement. The position sensor and laser spectroscopy system automatically detect and measure target objects as they pass through the interrogation zone, providing immediate quality control data without removing items from the production line for separate testing, thus eliminating time loss while maintaining precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for real-time, high-quality spectroscopic measurements, extending the laser's operational lifetime, maintaining thermal stability, and reducing waste by ensuring only relevant data is collected, thereby improving process efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a laser-based sensor assembly configured to direct a laser light to at least one moving object within an interrogation zone
Implementation Method 2
laser-based spectroscopy system combined with a distance/proximity sensor assembly and a processing unit featuring a decision-making algorithm that selectively fires the laser and sorts spectroscopic signals
Data Source
AI summary
A laser-based spectroscopy system that combines a distance/proximity standoff sensor, a high-repetition rate laser spectroscopy system, and software with a decision-making algorithm embedded in a processing unit which in combination performs selective firing of the laser when the target object is within an interrogation zone. In a related embodiment, the system provides selective sorting of spectroscopic signals based on information from the standoff signal and from information contained in the spectral signals themselves. The laser emission can be actively controlled while keeping the laser firing, thereby preserving the thermal stability and hence the power of the laser; and the standoff sensor information and the spectral information can be combined to determine the proper relative weighting or importance of each piece of spectral information.