At Automate 2024, visitors can be treated to a. demonstration of Z Laser’s versatile range of laser components. We at MVPro Media caught up with Tobias Bürkle, Head of Sales LM at Z-Laser, who gave us a rundown of the company and their portfolio.
Z-Laser is a German company responsible for providing laser components. These components are highly adaptable, providing variation for their clients depending on their needs. This includes different wavelengths, a homogenous line, and a varied depth of focus. These can be combined with a smart camera to build a 3D measurement system.
The company is famous for its high-powered ZQ1 laser, which offers up to 2500mW and is used for high-speed applications. Their machine vision setup features off-the-shelf products, but they also provide customised products which can be configured for their customers’ needs.
Elsewhere, Z-Laser also offers positioning lasers and laser projectors for manual alignment tasks and positioning applications. These are programmable systems, meaning you can upload a CAD file and start production immediately.
Tobias provided us an example, saying:
“You can guide a worker through the entire assembly process. Step one, take that screw out of that box. Step two, put it in this location., Step three, take that sticker, and so on, so we guide the worker through the entire assembly process, which saves time and reduces the amount of errors.”
What makes these products especially useful is their versatility. Tobias explained that they aren’t restricted to certain industries and can be used whenever something needs to be measured, adding, “No matter which objects need measuring, whether it’s food, stone, wood, automotive, metal or medicine, this can help.”
This isn’t Z-Laser’s first time at Automate; the laser component innovators have participated at the trade show for over a decade. Unlike some competitors, Z-Laser offers potential clients a more affordable investment.
“Instead of investing millions into a fully automated robotic line, which scares off smaller companies, we offer the laser projector,” Tobias explained. “This costs somewhere in the region of $5,000-7,000, making it a relatively small investment, which moves closer to automation. This is very interesting for many of the visitors.”
Z-Laser is one of three companies which operates under the umbrella of Exaktera, along with Advanced Illumination, a US-based LED manufacturer, and Pro Photonix, a UK and Irish-based, LED and laser manufacturer. Tobias told us that Exaktera is not done yet and is looking to acquire more companies in the fields of illumination, LED lasers, and optics.
Their customer base is made up predominantly of systems integrators who supply the end user with the entire solution. The company is also highly focused on manufacturers of 3D triangulation sensors.
