A galvo scanner, short for galvanometer scanner, is a high-precision deflection system that is used in particular for the fast and precise control of laser beams. At its core, this scanner consists of one or more galvanometers. These are rotatable electric motors with integrated position control, on whose rotors small mirrors are mounted. The target position of the respective mirror is specified via an analogue control signal, usually in the range of ±10 V. An integrated position sensor, often a capacitive or optical encoder, continuously records the current mirror position. This enables the electronics to carry out the target/actual comparison via a controlled system and to position the mirror extremely precisely.
In a typical 2D galvo scanner, one mirror directs the laser beam along the X-axis and a second along the Y-axis. The mirror movements take place in a very small angular range, usually up to ±20°. This geometry leads to a relatively large lateral deflection on a projection surface. An F-theta lens is often used to ensure a constant focal plane across the entire processing field. This corrects the non-linear deflection of the beam and ensures that the laser beam remains precisely focussed on a flat surface regardless of the deflection angle.
EUTECT uses the Galvo scanner for soldering processes where the laser is used to apply heat. These can be classic laser soldering processes but also the use of the Laser knife can be optimised with this technology. Cycle time-optimised, high-precision soldering results can be achieved, which are particularly important for demanding soldering tasks. In some cases, the galvo scanner also makes it possible to dispense with moving the assembly to be soldered.
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