NM Laser Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-irradiance laser shutters, has launched a new line of high-performance laser shutters called FlexSorb. These shutters feature a unique non-contact electromagnetic design and superior thermal dissipation.

The FlexSorb line of high-performance laser shutters from nmLaser Products has a high damage tolerance and can switch quickly while being small and quiet. The unique design of these shutters uses a low-mass, flexible, ferromagnetic cantilever membrane moved by non-contact electromagnetic techniques, which minimizes the shock, vibration, and wear on the shutter.

Engineers at nmLaser developed the FlexSorb shutter line with its non-contact flexure designed to close at a position slightly away from the pole, essentially floating in the air to eliminate any potential vibration or bounce caused by impact deceleration of even the low-mass flexure.

These flexures are unaffected by foreign particles clinging to the magnetic pole and offer much longer lifetimes. Wear particulate accumulation is extremely low, with off-the-shelf models rated for cleanroom use. All units are immersion cleaning compatible and can be provided for clean room-type applications.

Slightly overdamped controllers eliminate the system ring, ensuring efficient energy transfer to the magnet. The heat from the efficient magnetic design is merged with the laser optical absorption heat. It is dissipated using thermal conduction to a standard, convenient mounting surface, achieving superior thermal dissipation. The built-in beam dump absorbs high CW power levels with excellent damage resistance from high fluence pulsed lasers.

Engineered materials, geometry, and surface morphology give low backscatter from DUV through FIR wavelengths. Units are designed for use with 24 V-type circuits with a timed impulse to open and a lower voltage for a long-term hold. In addition, most models offer position sensors, logic courses, and mechanical switches.

Aperture sizes range from 3 mm to 14 mm. Fast switching speeds target OEM safety interlock and processing application requirements, ranging from under 10 msec to 50 msec for larger apertures.

"Our new FlexSorb line brings laser shutter technology into the 21st century and marks a dramatic improvement in laser shutter performance," says nmLaser Products President David Woodruff. "Advancements in electromagnetic design and thermal dissipation make FlexSorb the shutter of choice for even the most rigorous manufacturing and research applications."

Summary of Features:

• Non-contact electromagnetic design

• Superior thermal dissipation

• High damage threshold

• Models rated for cleanroom use

• Very low backscatter DUV through FIR

• Aperture sizes from 3 mm to 14 mm

• Switching speeds from under 10 msec to 50 msec

• Small size and quiet operation

Customizations addressing switching speed, holding efficiency, package miniaturization, cost, and weight are available. In addition, semi-customizations for apertures, body geometry, optical mirror, and absorber requirements are available.

Applications

NM Laser’s FlexSorb family of shutters can be adapted to meet a wide variety of applications and optimized for specific OEM product lines. NM Laser supplies custom and off-the-shelf laser shutter solutions for various industries, including scientific, medical, military, semiconductor processing, biotechnology, micromachining, welding/cutting, lidar, chemical engineering, graphic arts, forestry, and pollution monitoring.

Pricing and Availability

Research tools are available from US$350.00 to $1500.00, and OEM solutions start in the US$350.00 range in quantity. Delivery is stock to 2 weeks on many safety and process products, typically stock to 3 weeks on modulation products.

About nmLaser Products, Inc.

NM Laser Products has been introducing new products and advancements in laser shutter technology since 1987. The company engineers and manufactures the world’s safest and most reliable electromechanical laser shutters and accessories by meeting the production and integration challenges of OEMs and researchers in a continually growing number of broad and niche markets worldwide.

Innovations are geared toward meeting today’s even higher industry standards, emphasizing enabling customers to build better, safer products at a lower cost. NM Laser Products has distributors in most major industrialized nations around the world. In addition, its design and manufacturing headquarters in San Jose, California, provide service and support.

OEMs and research institutions are invited to contact nmLaser Products for consultation on laser shutters, shutter controllers, and accessories for CW and pulsed laser applications. Phone: 408-227-8299; Fax: 408-227-8265; Email: sales@nmlaser.com; Website: www.nmlaser.com.