Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA)

Security and
Control System

High-performance physics meets high-tech security

Partnership for Precision: Digital Control
at CALA

At the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA) in Garching near Munich, international scientists are researching the next generation of cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, cutting-edge interdisciplinary research meets laser technology and superlatives.

Where lasers with multiple petawatts of power and ionizing radiation are used, absolute safety is of utmost importance.

The challenge

At CALA, several project teams are working with different lasers and stations in so-called "caves." The ATLAS-3000 and PFS-pro laser systems are separated from the caves by a complex vacuum pipe system. Any errors in the wiring or operation can have serious consequences.

What solution does MESALOGIC provide?

MESALOGIC and HIMA jointly developed a highly intelligent safety and control system precisely tailored to CALA’s high requirements:

Access restrictions: As soon as one team is working with a laser or in the cave, access for others is automatically blocked.

Visualization & control: A modern SCADA software called GENESIS 64 displays the live status of the entire system on a central information monitor.

Central control: Two teams can work in parallel and safely, while two computers coordinate the overall system.

Transparency: Every setpoint, every user action, and every timestamp is automatically documented and visualized in GENESIS 64.

The result

The solution developed by MESALOGIC and HIMA breathed “digital life” into CALA’s infrastructure and created an ecosystem where high-performance physics and safety go hand in hand.

Together for the research of tomorrow – with high-tech protection systems.

Adrian Schmidt | CEO | MESALOGIC GmbH

"At the Laser Therapy Center, we had the opportunity to unleash the full power of GENESIS in a safety-controlled environment — with digital signs on the laser cage doors and multiple control stations, enabling scientific teams to work independently and operate the laser for their experiments.

A heartfelt thank you to CALA and our partner HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH for the excellent collaboration."