Hudson NH, December 18, 2013 — Nutfield Technology (http://www.nutfieldtech.com), a leader in laser scanning solutions, explains how a galvanometer scanner works. Just like an analogue meter, a galvanometer scanner has a moving coil that detects and measures electric currents. The current is conducted through the coil in a magnetic field. To envision this, think about the some of the gauges in a car; the needles in the gauges are actuated by a coil of wire that is powered by electricity. More electricity makes more force in moving the needle.
The principal is similar with moving magnet galvanometer laser scanners. However, the coil surrounds a shaft that has an angled mirror mounted to the top. The mirror reflects and deflects the laser. Varying and/or pulsing power to the coil causes the mirror to move rapidly in limited rotation. The mirror is able to rotate thousands of times per second in a galvanometer laser scanner.
One type of galvanometer laser scanner operates in “closed loop” wherein an analog or digital position sensor indicates precise mirror position.
Chances are, you run into at least one galvanometer scanner on a daily basis. A lower precision galvanometer scanner called an optical scanning galvanometer, is the type you see reading the bar code UPC’s at grocery stores. You’ll find a galvanometer scanner in laser printers, medical devices such as laser skin treatment systems, and projectors. You’ll also find a scanning galvanometer in laser engravers, laser welders and laser cutters.
For more information about galvanometers, laser welding, laser engraving, or laser cutting, visit, http://www.nutfieldtech.com.
About Nutfield Technology
Nutfield Technology has been designing and manufacturing advanced galvanometer-based optical scanners, scan heads, laser scan kits, and scan control software and hardware since 1997. As the one-stop solution for laser scanning, Nutfield Technology has a full product line ideally suited for most laser scanning applications. Nutfield Technology is located in Hudson, New Hampshire, 30 miles north of Boston, with employees throughout the U.S., and representation Europe and Asia. For more details visit us at: http://www.nutfieldtech.com