Huettinger Elektronik - now a Trumpf Group company - is a manufacturer of power supplies for plasma applications, induction heating and laser excitation. For many years, Huettinger has been the Trumpf provider of generators for CO2 laser excitation, and its products are now available in the UK from a dedicated support team based at Trumpf Limited in Luton.
Working in close collaboration with its customers, Huettinger has developed process energy products in many areas relating to induction heating. Playing a role in numerous industrial processes, the technology allows non-contact heating of many different materials with pinpoint accuracy. Surfaces can be hardened, crystals grown and containers sealed; the latter without affecting the package or its contents.
Huettinger power supplies are designed to be robust and reliable to maximise the short throughput times and production yields achievable with this method of heating. They are designed to provide reliable performance over a wide range of frequencies and load conditions, and cover a broad range of applications - from soldering and welding to crystal growth and zone floatation - for which they meet the needs for extremely stable output.
A different set of demands are placed on Huettinger generators for use in semiconductor production applications. Wafer production processes, for example, are amongst the most difficult requiring process energy sources that maintain their high performance over many days of uninterrupted operation. During this time, even the smallest output disturbances can cause the process to fail, leading to reduced yields and financial losses. The consistent and reliable output of the Huettinger design is therefore vital in this field.
For plasma coating technology the key performance criterion from the energy source is that it should be adjustable and Huettinger plasma generators are naturally engineered to meeting these requirements. They are available in high output ranges with control functions that permit precise regulation and repeatable accuracy. Even its standard range meets a range of process energy needs thanks to their matching ranges, reproducibility, short-circuit protection and reliability.