XL-80

Renishaw Inc. offers the XL-80 laser calibration system. The new design allows a 4X faster slew rate and 10X higher dynamic data capture rate. The XL-80 brings nanometer-level motion analysis to calibration, error-mapping and compensation of everything from laboratory equipment, semiconductor processing machinery and radiosurgery tools to coordinate measuring machines, lithography equipment, advanced machine tools, robots and assembly systems. Meeting industry trends to high-speed machinery, higher precision and greater process control, the XL-80 increases linear measurement speed to 4m/s, while providing a resolution of 1nm, even at top speed. Lightweight, compact packaging enables easier transport and set up, while a warm up of less than 6 minutes minimizes waits to increase available measurement time. A new signal gain switch gives the option of 80m linear range, such as for large aircraft profilers, or increased signal strength at shorter ranges. System accuracy of +/- 0.5 ppm is maintained over the full operating range of 0-40 degrees C (32-104°F). A new XC-80 Intelligent Sensor System maintains that accuracy against variations in temperature, pressure and humidity by updating the environment factor every seven seconds via a USB link. The XL-80 takes readings at 50 kHZ. The 10X increase in bandwidth enables capture of detailed data about small high frequency movements. The new XL-80 system is backward compatible with optics from Renishaw's ML10 laser system, enabling thousands of current ML10 users to upgrade to the new system while retaining their investment in optics, procedures and staff training. A full range of optics enables precise interferometer determination of a machine's linear, angular, flatness, straightness and squareness measurements to international checking standards. As with the ML10, all measurements are based on the wavelength of a stabilized HeNe laser source, giving users assured traceability back to internationally recognized length standards. Advanced engineering reduces weight for the XL-80 laser unit and XC-80 compensator by 70 percent compared to the ML10, allowing a much smaller transport package. Combined weight is just over 3 kg, including connecting cables, power supply and sensors. In turn, other system components, such as tripod and stage, have been downsized. The reduced dimensions of the laser head and stage allow easy mounting on an available magnetic base for applications where tripod mounting is not convenient. The same base height and optics dimensions as the ML10 allows the XL-80 to also be placed directly on the table (without tripod stage) for CMM calibration.