LinPerf™ Linear Perforation Programming

The video above shows a simple application of LinPerf™, one of the new features of S94P software version 2.4.

LinPerf, short for Linear Perforation, provides an easy way to create programs that produce linear patterns of features on planar surfaces. The planar surfaces may be oriented in any plane accessible by the laser beam based on the number of axes and configuration of the LASERDYNE system.
This programming approach mimics that used with CylPerf™, a programming tool developed for drilling cylindrical shaped parts.

All inclusive

LinPerf takes much of the hard work out of creating patterns. Users provide the following information in a graphical interface (Figure 1) on the S94P display:

• Hole spacing (inches or mm)
• Direction angles
• Number of passes
• Laser conditions
• Assist gas
• Hole diameter
• LinPerf mode – PosiPulse, MultiPulse, or User-defined.

The dialog box also includes several calculated parameters:

• Linear speed (% of maximum)
• Elongation (inch or mm)
• Pulse spacing (inch or mm)
• Run time estimates for PosiPulse and MultiPulse modes

Calculated parameters are automatically updated when any inputs are changed. For example, if you change hole spacing or laser pulse frequency, linear axis speed changes.

Assist gases are specified on the LinPerf pattern page using gas names, not M-function numbers. The relationship between gas names and M-functions for a given system may be defined in the SysConfig Gases tab.

Figure 1: LinPerf dialog box showing inputs and calculated parameters such as run time, linear axis speed, and hole elongation.

From Simple to Complex

As with CylPerf, an important feature of LinPerf is the ability to create programs for multiple, complex patterns drilled within a single row (Figure 2).
Complex patterns are created by:

• First, defining simple, basic patterns.
• Next, combining the basic patterns in various ways to form complex patterns.

Figure 2: LinPerf pattern dialog. Complex patterns are defined by combining simpler patterns. The left-hand side of the pattern dialog contains three grids: basic patterns, composite patterns, and LinPerf data. The right-hand side contains a list of resulting hole locations.

Contact Prima Power Laserdyne Sales at lds.sales@primapower.com to discuss LinPerf in detail and/or to review the program used to create the pattern shown in the video