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7.1.7 Three Axis Scanners

The Geometry of 3D Marking

In conventional 2D Marking, target vectors are constrained to lie within a certain fixed area of the XY-plane, normal to the laser beam at [X=0,Y=0], which we call the Marking Field.

For 3D Marking, target vectors are constrained to the 3D Marking Field: a fixed XYZ-volume that lies between two XY-planes, both normal to the laser beam at [0, 0, Zmax] and [0, 0, Zmin].

In practical terms, the 3D Marking Field describes the available range of positions for the beam's focal point.

Its dimensions and location relative to the Scan Head are in general determined by:

  1. The optical and mechanical characteristics of the XY Scan Head.

  2. The optical and mechanical characteristics of the Lens Translator unit.

  3. The contents of the 3D Field Correction file (FC3).

Optical Reference Plane

The Optical Reference Plane is defined where the specifed Field Size and Working Distance are achieved (their relationship is determined by the optics).

FOCUSSHIFTER

AXIALSCAN

A RAYLASE GmbH standard FC3 file for FOCUSSHIFTER is generated with its FieldOffset.Z parameter set equal to the difference (if any) between the Card and Optical Reference Planes.

A RAYLASE GmbH standard FC3 file for AXIALSCAN systems assumes that the Optical Reference Plane is at the top of the 3D Marking Field, and is generated with its FieldOffset.Z parameter set equal to the appropriate difference between the Card and Optical Reference Planes.

Card Reference Plane.

The Card Reference Plane is defined to be in the middle of the 3D Marking Field.[Note 1]

User Reference Plane.

To make the User Reference Plane coincident with the Optical Reference Plane, it is sufficient to use the FieldOffset.Z value from the FC3 file's header as the Z-axis parameter in the FieldTransform property of the appropriate Scanner Configuration.

Alternatively, an entirely different application-specific User Reference Plane may be defined by specifying an appropriate value for the Z-axis of the FieldTransform.

3D Marking Field - Geometry Combined.svg not found.
3D Marking Field Geometry
Notes

  1. This assumes that the current FieldTransform is equal to the Identity Matrix I3.