FAQ laser projection systems

No. Bright direct sunlight is so strong that it outshines the laser beam. Stronger lasers would shine brighter, but their intensity would be harmful to the human eye.

One projector can cover up to approx. 20×20 m.

Why? The maximum projection angle is 80×80° below the laser exit. Imagine a square based pyramid with the laser projector at its top. Maximum distance to a calibration target is 15 m, which limits the perpendicular height above a flat surface to 11.5 m. The larger and the more complex a projection is, the more it flickers and the less brightness is has. You can combine up to 100 projectors to project on larger areas or to project rather complex shapes. The maximum projection area is therefore virtually unlimited. 

.dxf, .igs, .iges, .apt, .ply, .prt, .tps, .apt, .hpgl, and .lpd (proprietary format).

In general, you may use any software on the market, that can export one of the named file formats. The extraction of the elements to be projected and the organization of work steps in the correct order has to be done. 

Yes. You can project on flat 2D objects and on 3D objects. The projection is completely based on the underlaying CAD model of the surface. As long as the real surface complies with the CAD data, the projection will be precise at any point.

The installation of a single laser projector and the user training usually take a few hours only. In most cases, this does not even require a downtime in your manufacturing. Installations with many projectors or intensive preparations on site take longer. We will schedule the installation to keep your downtime to a minimum, if any. 

You can move the workplace where you need the projection within a certain area. Our camera system DTEC-PRO automatically recognizes the movement and adjusts the projection. 

The geometry of the setup, the complexity of the projected shapes, the ambient conditions and the material of the surface can all affect the visibility of the projected laser image.

The brighter the surroundings, the more laser power you need. Depending on the situation, direct bright sunlight on the projection surface may outshine the laser projection.

Material and surface structure affect how much of the laser beam gets absorbed or reflected. Materials such as wood, metal, concrete and composites work very well with the laser. Transparent, reflecting and shiny surfaces have a poor visibility. Matt black surfaces absorb a lot of light and reflect little. Very rough surfaces such as brushed or milled grooves can swallow parts of a line or show the line with reduced brightness.

Let the laser beam guide your team. This will avoid measuring errors and it will ensure, that consecutive working steps get performed in the correct order. After finishing the task, let a second person go through the whole projection step-by-step to visually inspect if everything is correct.