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posted by janrinok on Sunday September 25 2016, @03:47AM   Printer-friendly
from the beam-me-up dept.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP now has the technological means of applying electron beams very flexibl[y] to 3-D objects through use of its new electron wand of the Swiss company ebeam by COMET.

Electron beams are useful in many different applications. They reliably sterilize seed, can weld small structures precisely and reliable, and cure decorative paint. Usually this involves either planar, flexible, or slightly curved surfaces. However, applying electron beams homogeneously to 3-D objects of any size or shape has not been so simple up to now.

Scientists at Fraunhofer FEP have now elegantly combined an electron wand with a six-axis robotic manipulator in order to be able to treat substrates with complex shapes as well as spherical objects, for example.

"The electron wand remains stationary in this process", explains Javier Portillo, a scientist at Fraunhofer FEP. "The manipulator rotates the objects within the irradiation zone in a way, that the surface will be treated homogeneously. This creates the maximum degree of freedom when applying an electron beam to a 3-D-object."

Normally you need several electron-beam sources to treat 3-D objects. Homogeneous application does not take place reliably everywhere in this process. The process of multiaxial moving the object within the electron treatment zone can hereby generate advantages. The application of electron beams to optical components is also conceivable.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2016, @07:57AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 25 2016, @07:57AM (#406186)

    Think we need a new rating. '+1 woosh'