Electric Vehicles (EVs)
As the automotive industry transitions from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EV), more EVs will be manufactured over the coming years. As a result, components unique to EVs must also be built in mass quantities. Some examples are batteries, electric motors and power electronics which can be manufactured in high-volume, high-quality and low-cost with lasers and photonics solutions.
Lasers Enable Next-Generation Component Design and Manufacturing
| Welding | Ablating | Cutting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Precision | √ | √ | √ |
| Flexible & complex patterns | √ | √ | √ |
| Less spatter/debris | √ | √ | |
| Less surrounding damage | √ | √ | √ |
| Speed | √ | √ | |
| Contact-free | √ | √ | √ |
MKS Solutions for EV Electric Motor and Power Electronics Manufacturing

MKS offers many solutions to enable laser welding and ablating processes for electric motors and power electronics, which are described below. For more information about solutions for laser manufacturing of next-generation Li-Ion batteries, please see Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing.
| Challenges in EV Electronics Manufacturing | MKS Solutions |
|---|---|
| Maximizing throughput | Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling |
| Maximizing manufacturing yield | Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling |
| Improving motor & electronics packaging reliability | High-power optics to manage lasers High-precision opto-mechanics and motion control |
Your Partner for EV Manufacturing
- 50+ years and thousands of laser systems for industrial applications
- Long-term partner to electronics manufacturing companies
- Full range of products: beam profilers, sensors, optics, opto-mechanics, meters, positioners
- Proven performance
- Product availability
- Ability to scale with you
- Global corporation and presence
![]() Laser Optics |
Beam Analysis |
![]() Motion Control |
Opto-Mechanics |
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Beam Analysis
Power level and focus quality of a laser beam directly influence the quality of cutting, welding, and ablating in EV manufacturing, therefore it is important to frequently monitor your laser power and beam quality delivered to the sample and ultimately to the location of the laser micromachining process. Laser power meters and beam profilers are often used as diagnostic tools either off-line or in-line to ensure your laser is always working within optimized specifications in production.
Causes of Laser System Degradation
- Thermal Effects
- Debris from Process
- Vibrations and Shock
Criteria for Selecting Beam Analysis Instruments
![]() Sensors / Detectors |
![]() Power Meters |
![]() Beam Analysis |
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Helios™ Plus High Power Sensor: Designed to be integrated into production stations to measure high power industrial lasers quickly to avoid downtime.
| Helios™ Plus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 450-550 nm and 900-1100 nm | ![]() |
| Power Range | 50 W to 12 kW | |
| Energy Range | 100 J to 5 kJ | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 35 mm | |
| Response Time | 3 sec | |
| Communication Protocol Options | Profinet Ethernet/IP EtherCAT RS-232 |
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| Other Features | Not water cooled Meter not required Compact, industrial package |
IPM-10KW Industrial High Power Sensor: Modular industrial sensor system for high-power lasers in production, field service or R&D.
| IPM-10KW | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 900-1100 nm, 10.6 µm | ![]() |
| Power Range | 100 W to 11 kW | |
| Energy Range | 60 J to 10 kJ | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 45 mm | |
| Response Time | 2.7 sec | |
| Communication Protocol Options | Profinet (external module) Ethernet/IP (external module) RS-232 |
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| Other Features | Water cooled Automated shutter (external module) Rugged, industrial package Safety interlock output |
Ariel™ All-In-One High Power Sensor: Measures high power industrial lasers in closed and confined spaces.
| Ariel™ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 450-550 nm, 900-1100 nm, 2.94 & 10.6 µm | ![]() |
| Power Range | 200 mW to 8 kW | |
| Energy Range | Up to 2.4 kJ | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 22 mm for Gaussian beam | |
| Response Time | 3 sec | |
| Interface Options | Built-in display Bluetooth USB |
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| Other Features | Not water cooled Battery powered (>15 hrs life) Detachable diffuser Compact, industrial package |
High Power "Puck" Thermal Sensors
Kilowatt range power measurement capability and very high damage thresholds
![]() 5000W-LP2-50 |
![]() FL600A-BB-65 |
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| Spectral Range | 350 to 2200 nm | 190 to 11000 nm |
| Power Range | 20 to 5000 W | 5 to 600 W |
| Maximum Average Power Density | 2.5 kW/cm2 | 7 kW/cm2 |
| Aperture | Ø50 mm | Ø65 mm |
| Response Time | 3 s | 4 s |
| Cooling | Water-cooled | Fan-cooled |
| Other Features | Cable to connect to meter or PC included | |
Power Meters
Ophir laser power and energy meters work on the smart plug principle. This means that almost any power meter can work – plug and play – with almost any of the wide range of Ophir optical sensors.
| Power Meters | Virtual Power Meters | ||
|---|---|---|---|
![]() Centauri |
![]() StarBright Handheld |
![]() Juno+ |
![]() EA-1 |
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Laser Beam Profilers
BeamWatch® Integrated High Power Beam Profiler: designed to measure all critical laser beam parameters on industrial production lines.
| BeamWatch Integrated | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 980-1080 nm | ![]() |
| Power Range | 500 to 9999 W (30 kW on Request) | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 12.5 mm | |
| Communication Protocol Options | Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Profinet Ethernet/IP CC-Link |
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| Other Features | Patented non-contact measurement Real-time monitoring of beam profile Sensor for absolute power readings ISO-compliant measurement results Fully automated operation |
SP932U Beam Profiling Camera: High resolution, real-time viewing and measuring of laser structure with highest accuracy in the industry
| SP932U | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 190-1100 nm (Optimized for NIR & Nd:YAG) | ![]() |
| Damage Threshold | 50 W/cm2 1 J/cm2, <100 ns pulse width |
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| Beam Sizes | 34.5 µm – 5.3 mm | |
| Pixels | 2048 x 1536 Effective Pixels 3.45 µm Pixel Size |
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| PC Interface | USB 3.0 | |
| Other Features | BeamGage® software included UltraCal™ correction algorithm Measures cross-sectional intensity 72 dB true dynamic resolution 24 Hz frame rate in 12-bit mode A variety of attenuators available |
Optics
1 µm Optics
These 1 μm high power fiber laser optics feature maximum focus stability and minimum aberrations, by using advanced manufacturing technologies, for high optical performance.
- 1 µm Fiberlens™ Aspheric Lenses: improved performance over spherical lenses for high power 1-µm industrial fiber lasers.
- 1 µm High Power Windows: high damage thresholds for high power 1-µm industrial fiber lasers.
![]() Fiberlens™ Aspheric Lenses |
![]() High Power Windows |
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| Wavelengths | 1030-1090 nm | |
| Pulsed Damage Threshold | 20 J/cm2 | |
| Reflectivity per Surface | < 0.2% | |
| Diameters | 12 to 300 mm | 21.5 to 55 mm |
| Effective Focal Lengths | 20 to 500 mm | N/A |
| Shapes | Aspherical-Plano Aspherical-Spherical Aspherical-Aspherical |
Plano |
| Substrate Material | High Purity UV Fused Silica | |
| Other Features | Coating can be adjusted for other wavelengths (e.g., 266, 356, 532 nm) | |
![]() Collimating & Focusing Assemblies |
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CO2 Laser Lenses
The focusing lens is the last optic in the CO2 laser path, before it hits the workpiece. Its main role is to focus the laser beam to a specific focal length depending on the application. Therefore, the focal length dictated by the radiuses and curvatures of the lens is its most important feature. In order to ensure that your laser operates at maximum efficiency it is crucial to select the right lens. The type to be used with each machine is usually specified in the machine manufacturer's manual. We offer a wide range of standard and custom lenses assuring that the most suitable and effective lens be fitted to your laser cutting machine.
| CO2 Laser Lenses | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coating | Duralens™ | Black Magic™ | Clear Magic™ |
| Wavelength | 10.6 µm | ||
| Transmission | >99.3% | >99.35% | >99.37% |
| Absorption | <0.2% | <0.15% | <0.13% |
| Reflection | <0.2% | <0.25% | <0.25% |
| Diameters | 1.1 to 2.5 in. | 1.1 to 2.5 in. | 1.1 to 2.0 in. |
| Shapes | Plano-Convex Meniscus |
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| Substrate Material | ZnSe | ||
| Other Features | Compatible with CO2 lasers in the kW range | ||
CO2 Beam Delivery Mirrors
In the beam delivery section of a CO2 laser cutting machine, the laser beam is transferred from the laser cavity to the working head. These CO2 optical mirrors feature specific properties like very high reflectivity and tight phase shift tolerance.
| Beam Delivery Mirrors | |
|---|---|
| Wavelength | 10.6 µm |
| Types | Zero Phase Shift 90° Phase Shift Telescopic Absorbing Thin Film Reflector (ATFR) |
| Reflectivity | 98% to 99.85% |
| Reflection | <0.2% |
| Diameters | 1 to 3 in. |
| Substrate Material | Copper or Silicon |
CO2 Laser Windows
These high transmittance and low absorption protective ZnSe optical windows for CO2 lasers are used either for protecting sensitive and/or expensive optics, or for separating areas with different gas pressures.
| CO2 Laser Windows | |
|---|---|
| Wavelength | 10.6 µm |
| Reflectivity | <0.25% |
| Transmission | >99.3% |
| Absorption | <0.15% or <0.2% |
| Diameters | 1 to 2.5 in. |
| Substrate Material | ZnSe |
Opto-Mechanics
Criteria for Selecting Optical Mounts

- Resolution/Sensitivity
- Long Term Stability
- Lockable
- Size and Shape
Optical component mounts are needed to hold and adjust optics. Long term stability and low drift is crucial. Minimizing drift caused by vibrations or thermal drift over time will ensure laser alignment to the desired spot and also reduce any potential downtime due to misalignment and errors. Having a locking mechanism on these mounts can also prevent misalignment of the beam, especially during shipping and also if anything else happens during usage.
HVM industrial mounts are recommended for robust long term usage in compact space. The Suprema® mirror mount is excellent for its stainless steel construction that gives better thermal performance than an aluminum mirror mount. Ultra-fine 254-TPI adjusters provide alignment sensitivity as low as 1.5 arc sec. For applications that are really concerned about the thermal changes that can be potentially caused by prolonged high powered laser usage, the ZeroDrift™ version will compensate for some thermal changes as well. For those mirror mounts that need to be set-and-forget for a long period of time, we recommend the MFM flexure mirror Mount. These are excellent for their small footprint so that machine size can be reduced.
- Suprema® Stainless Steel Mirror Mounts: the industry's best thermal performance for long-term stability.
![]() Suprema |
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| Optic Diameters | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. |
| Resolution | 50, 100, 127 and 254 TPI |
| Angular Range | ±7° |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Drive Types | Knob Hex Key Exchangeable Actuators |
| Lockable Versions | Yes |
| Other Versions | Clear-Edge Front- and Rear-Loading Right- and Left-Handed Low Wavefront Distortion ZeroDrift™ |
- HVM Top-Adjust Mirror Mounts: for use in compact spaces so your hands do not have to cross the beam path for adjustment.
- MFM Flexure Mirror Mounts: designed for "set and forget" applications.
![]() HVM-Series |
![]() MFM-Series |
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| Optic Diameters | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. | 0.5, 0.75 and 1 in. |
| Resolution | 80 and 100 TPI | 80 and 100 TPI |
| Angular Range | ±2.5°, ±3° and ±3.5° | ±2.5° |
| Material | Anodized Aluminum, Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Drive Types | Hex Key | Hex Key |
| Lockable Versions | Yes | No |
| Other Features | Front- and Rear-Loading Versions | Shock Resistant Front- and Rear-Loading Versions Adhesive wells for permanent mounting |
- A-Line™ Fixed Position Lens Mounts: fast, easy and economic mounting, aligning and focusing of optics.
- Compact Lens Positioners: ideal solution for applications with limited table space.
- LP Precision Multi-Axis Lens Positioners: highest performing lens positioners.
![]() A-Line |
![]() Compact |
![]() LP-Series |
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| Optic Diameters | 0.5 to 3 in. | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. |
| Resolution | - | 100 TPI | 100 TPI |
| Adjustments | Fixed | XY, XYZ, XYZθxθy | XY, XYZ, XYZθxθy |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Other Features | Self-aligning design Large clear aperture Compatible with A-Line alignment system |
Adapters for other optics Lockable positions |
Zero-freeplay XY mechanism True Gimbal adjustments Independent non-influencing locks Adapters for other optics |
Motion Control
Guaranteed Motion Control Performance
- Stages that MKS ships meet or exceed the guaranteed specifications
- Metrology reports included with each stage (ASME B5.57 and ISO 230-2 standards)
- Typically, the product will perform ~2x better than the guarantee
IDL-LM Series Linear Motor Positioners
Highest load capacity and speed of all linear motor positioners for demanding production environments

| IDL-LM Series | |
|---|---|
| Travel Range | 100 to 1,200 mm |
| Speed | 2 m/sec |
| Load Capacity | 450 to 2,000 N |
| Pitch | ±0.15 to ±0.65 µrad |
| Yaw | ±0.15 to ±0.4 µrad |
| Accuracy | ±2 to ±5 µm |
| Repeatability | ±0.25 to ±0.5 µm |
| Other Features | Ironless Linear Motor Recirculating ball bearings Industrial grade hard covers |
Motion Controllers
![]() XPS-D |
![]() XPS-RLD |
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