At a time when industrial vision and precision optical equipment are constantly being revolutionized, focusing speed and accuracy have become key indicators of equipment performance. Laser focusing system, as a much-anticipated technology in recent years, has been labeled by many publicity as being able to achieve “second-speed focusing”. This claim has attracted the attention of many industry practitioners and technology enthusiasts, so can the laser focusing system actually achieve such efficient focusing speed? What kind of working principle is behind it? For POMEAS users who are deeply involved in the industrial vision field, an in-depth understanding of these contents will help them make more informed decisions in equipment selection and technology application.

The Quest for “Focus in Seconds”: Are Laser Focus Systems Really That Good?

In real-world scenarios, whether it's precision inspection of tiny parts on an automated industrial production line, or capturing a moving image with high-end photographic equipment, focusing speed is critical. The reason why laser focusing systems are rumored to be fabulous is that they do offer significant speed improvements compared to traditional focusing methods. Under ideal conditions, laser focusing systems are capable of focusing in a fraction of the time, almost to the point of “focusing in seconds”. For example, in the manufacturing process of 3C products, vision inspection equipment utilizing laser focus can quickly capture the location of tiny solder joints on circuit boards, quickly complete focus and defect detection, greatly improving production efficiency.

However, “focus in seconds” is not always possible. Environmental factors such as bright light interference, complex reflective surfaces, and the specific material of the object being photographed can all affect the performance of the laser focusing system. In a bright light environment, external light may interfere with the reception and processing of the laser signal, resulting in slower focusing or even focusing errors; and for some objects with too smooth or transparent surfaces, the complexity of the laser reflection and refraction will also increase the difficulty and time of focusing.

How the laser focusing system works

In a laser focusing system based on the principle of triangulation, the main components are a laser transmitter, an image sensor and a lens. The laser transmitter emits a laser beam to the object being photographed and the laser light is reflected when it hits the surface of the object. The reflected light is received by the image sensor through the lens. Since there is a certain fixed angle and distance between the laser emitter and the image sensor, according to the geometric relationship of triangles, when the distance of the object changes, the imaging position of the reflected light on the image sensor will also change accordingly.

By calculating the position change of the reflected light on the image sensor, the system will be able to accurately calculate the distance between the object and the device, and then drive the lens to make corresponding adjustments to complete the focusing operation. This principle is similar to measuring the angle and distance of an object with a triangle board in our daily life, except that the laser focusing system applies it to the field of microscopic and high-speed optical measurements.

Demonstration of POMEAS with laser focusing system

POMEAS, as a famous brand in the field of industrial vision, has a deep technical accumulation in the development and application of laser focusing technology. POMEAS laser focusing system products are not only capable of high-speed focusing, but also outstanding in terms of stability and accuracy. Through continuous optimization of algorithms and hardware design, the impact of environmental factors on laser focusing is effectively reduced, and the adaptability of the equipment in complex working conditions is improved.