It is a well known paradigm of modern production strategy to gain product quality by safely controlled technologies rather then by post-process selections of faulty products. Mastering any sophisticated process technology necessarily relies on more or less sophisticated on-line monitoring or closed loop control means. While monitoring systems in case of detected unallowed process irregularities will immediately stop the treatment process or mark the treated part as a faulty one, closed loop control systems are designed to continue the process by applying appropriate feedback actions in order to instantaneously compensate the beginning decrease of process quality.
The basis for reliable on-line process monitoring systems are significant indicators for the instantaneous condition of the interaction zone and/or neighbouring areas. Evidently monitoring means have to operate contactless since there must be no disturbing influence on the interaction zone. Fortunately, the remotely observable phenomena during laser material treatment create no problem to that requirement.
Introducing the industrial proved Laser Welding Monitor LWM based on photo diode sensors and new system developments at Jurca Optoelektronik based on camera techniques will be discussed.