Laser micro machining of material surfaces
conference paper
For high precision fabrication of fine structures and for making fine surface textures - a predefined finishing roughness on surfaces - several laser processing techniques are developed at TNO. The laser micro milling technique is applicable to make blind holes, grooves and other programmed shapes. It is a self—adjusting technique applicable e.g. in the manufacturing procees of high precision parts for the tool—making industry. The removal of material is achieved by local and repeatedly evaporation of small quantities of material from the workpiece—surface. The ablation rate or milling rate is determined by the laser fluence, the power density and the way the process is programmed. For circular and rectangular shapes recipes are developed, which can be combined for other shapes. A patent on this work, which is carried out in a Brite program (RI.IB.0129 UK (H)) is in preparation. An application of the laser surface texturing technique, by which a variety of finishing roughness reproducable can be achieved, is the making of predefined surface textures om metal moulds for duplicating the texture on plastics products. A laser surfacing teohnique, which results in glazy layers on metal surfaces, with interesting properties will also be reported. The processes deocribed require lasers and deflection systems which parameters are of good repeatability and constancy; such equipment is available om the market. For the reported work a Nd—YAG laser processing machine is applied while short pulses with a high peak power and high powerdensities os the workpieces surface are required. The technique described can be used for both metallic and ceramic materials.
TNO Identifier
246416
Publisher
SPIE
Source title
Proceedings Laser Assisted Processing, 19-20 September 1988, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany
Collation
4 p.
Place of publication
Bellingham, WA, USA
Pages
34-37