A new way to save labor in the analysis and inspection process. LIBS achieves an in-line inspection revolution!

In the industrial field, continuous efforts are underway to achieve a smart factory where manufacturing lines spanning processes from raw material acceptance inspection to final products are linked by a network aimed at improving quality control and saving labor. One of these efforts is the integration of the manufacturing line with the analysis and inspection process.

Up until now, however, it has been difficult to make in-line inspections because inspection processes using analytical equipment usually involve complicated measurements and cost issues. This situation makes LIBS the current focus of attention as a promising technique to support in-line analysis and inspections.

LIBS is an abbreviation for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy — a spectroscopic analytical technique that uses a laser to rapidly analyze multiple elements contained in the target object. When a short pulse laser beam is irradiated onto the surface of the target object, it causes the target object to thermally evaporate and create a plasma. Within the plasma, the electrons emitted from the atoms recombine with the ionized atoms and generate a unique spectrum in the process of returning to their original atomic state. Measuring this spectrum the substances at the element level. By combining such complex element information with AI technology, it is now possible to acquire highly accurate analytical information.

Some promising application areas of LIBS are steel manufacturing processes where analytical equipment cannot be installed nearby due to the extreme heat but LIBS ensures highly accurate properties analysis even from remote locations. In the recycling field, technology for accurately identifying large quantities of mixed waste materials is essential for achieving more efficient recycling and using LIBS allows highly accurate screening of materials whose properties are difficult to identify visually and so will help reuse resources more effectively.

The latest product released is a brand new pulsed solid state Nd:YAG laser (L15438-01). This is a cost-effective, high peak power pulsed solid state laser with the laser driver in the same package and it only needs 24 V DC power supply and trigger signal for operation.