Laser systems boost conventional machining

The application of laser technology is pacing the demands from the electronic, medical and aerospace with increasingly tighter specifications. An example of this can be found in machining circuit paths for electronics that must be 10μ with a tolerance of 1μ. The process must be performed quickly, and with depth of cut control that does not affect the substrate beneath the circuit path. A short pulse laser, called Staccato, by RPMC Lasers is finding acceptance in machining fine features in a variety of materials. For micro-machining applications, the fundamental wavelength of this laser unit is 1μ. It delivers 13ps long, diffraction limited pulses at a peak power rating as high as 38MW, according to the company. A single pulse from the laser removes materials as thin as 1nm and as thick as 1μ, depending on the material being cut. A technological advance of this new laser is its ability to generate peak power at 100kHz that's 100,000PPS. This translates into a significant improvement in the amount of material that can be removed. Owing to its short pulse and rapid frequency, the heat affected zone usually associated with longer frequency laser pulses is reduced or eliminated. At the ultra-high frequency of the Staccato, material is blasted from the cutting zone and does not have time to recast on the workpiece surface. The result is a smooth and accurate cut at relatively high-production rates. This new laser system is designed for use on the factory floor. It is not a laboratory machine. It works well in a manufacturing, shop floor environment. The laser is designed to be an augment to conventional laser machining. It is not designed to replace conventional lasers but, rather, to offer manufacturers a tool to make cuts that are currently beyond conventional laser technology. CO2 laser-cutting systems High-power CO2 laser-cutting systems, while suitable for cutting thick metal plates, often fall short when it comes to cutting thin sheet metal. That's because these lasers generally can't run at full power or speed without damaging thin material. However, a new class of low-cost, compact laser-machining stations, built around a sealed CO2 laser and machining centre platform, promises to process thin sheet metal parts more efficiently and economically than their massive counterparts. For the most part, shops must reduce power more than 50% to cut thin material with a high-power laser-cutting system. Doing so, minimises dross, re-cast molten metal. Running at reduced power is also important when cutting around corners because the metal on each side of the laser focal spot is in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and easily melts when the laser beam moves into this preheated region. To avoid overshoot, the cutting speed of high-power CO2 lasers is usually limited to approximately 100 inch/min, although the machines can cut thin sheets up to 30% rate. Unfortunately, shops won't get a maximum return-on-investment by operating these high-power lasers at less than 50% power and at only 3% of their maximum cutting speed. Sealed CO2 systems, on the other hand, are built around a lower average power, below 500W. These systems complement high-power systems by processing thin sheet metal more economically, leaving high-power systems free to efficiently cut thick metal plates. This makes them perfect for laser job shops specialising in high-precision fabrication of components and the processing of exotic materials. Laser cutting needed an inexpensive system that was easy-to-use and versatile enough to tackle drilling, engraving, and welding. The laser also had to meet customer requirements for ever-tightening levels of dimensional control, finer features, better quality, and greater cleanliness of finished products fabricated from thin sheet metal and thin-walled tubing. Sealed CO2 laNike React Element 55