Laser processing solutions provider LSP Technologies (LSPT; Dublin, OH) has built and delivered a Laser Glass Damage Testing (LGDT) system to laser and optical glass maker SCHOTT North America (Duryea, PA), which will use the system to inspect its phosphate laser glass for platinum inclusions.

SCHOTT required a new glass inspection system late in 2015, so the company contracted with LSPT, which provided contract inspection services while LSPT built a new integrated inspection system. The system is a diode-pumped, 1.4 J, YAG, flat-top beam laser system that operates at up to 60 Hz. It has a custom-designed computer control system with data collection and analysis, and is fully integrated with an automated glass slab handling system capable of holding slabs up to 70 kg.

Platinum-particle-free laser glass from SCHOTT enables high laser fluence operation of phosphate laser glass components without laser-induced damage. LSPT's Laser Glass Damage Testing laser system enables SCHOTT to complete the manufacturing process with in-house qualification of the glass.

The two companies have a working relationship dating back to 1995, when LSPT began building laser peening systems that employ SCHOTT LG-760 and APG-1 glass rods. Over the past 21 years, LSPT has purchased laser glass rods for nearly a dozen laser peening and Laser Bond Inspection systems from SCHOTT.