Wixom Firm Launches Automated Laser Alignment System
Wixom-based American Laser Enterprises LLC announces the launch of A-Las, which the company says is the first and only automated laser alignment system in the world.
The company said a United States patent is pending for the A-Las system, which aligns complex laser beam delivery systems used in numerous manufacturing processes.
Conventional alignment procedures used by factory trained service technicians require disassembly and reassembly of machines compromising the integrity and longevity of high precision, expensive optical components. This process may include up to 30 different procedures over a course of days to complete. In contrast, the A-Las system allows the user to align the beam delivery system in seconds from any location in the world for numerous machines. The A-Las system provides complete automated alignment solutions for the most demanding beam delivery configurations.
Benefits include the promotion of an accident free environment, elimination of schedule delays and reduction of expenses. Additional benefits include increased machine productivity leading to higher job revenue, increased life of sensitive optical components, reduced maintenance costs and replacement component inventory, totally eliminating the labor costs required for manual laser alignment.
The A-Las system eliminates trial and error troubleshooting, decreases parts consumption, increasing machine uptime while providing the capability to have one person diagnose and correct multiple machines. The A-Las system will reduce training cost by up to 90 percent over conventional laser alignment methods.
Said Susan Land Sprentall, owner of American Laser Enterprises: "We are particularly excited about the potential for increased up time, cost reduction, and the safe operation that when widely adopted will make the American manufacturing sector more competitive in the global market place."
The A-Las system was developed by ALE Engineers Don Sprentall and Keith Jefferies for the United States Air Force to be integrated into an existing, high power complex laser paint stripping system. As the project progressed, ALE began to realize the potential in numerous commercial markets.
ALE is a woman owned engineering organization with 40-plus years of industry experience and knowledge providing technical design and manufacturing services for laser equipment manufacturers, system integrators, government projects, industrial supply distributors, welding supply distributors and end users. ALE provides turnkey retrofit and upgrade solutions for existing laser systems.
More at www.a-l-e.net.
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