Research Areas

« Back

LASER DRILLING

Laser drilling involves material removal by vaporization and/or expulsion of molten material due to irradiation of high laser intensities. There are two types of laser drilling processes: percussion drilling (hole of diameter <1 mm) and trepanning (hole of diameter > 1 mm). Percussion drilling process involves a stationary beam and one or more pulses to penetrate the thickness of material. Trepanning involves contour cutting of the hole by moving the beam / workpiece to create the final dimensions of the hole.

Key Featyres & Advantages

• Ability to produce small diameter holes with high    aspect ratiosHoles can be drilled at shallow angles to the surface
• Optical fiber delivery possible
• Ability to process a wide range of materials
• High production rates
• Drilling of micron level holes to rock drilling
• Non-contact drilling (no tool wear or breakage, no material distortion)
• Highly accurate and consistent results
• Precise control of heat input
• Flexibility to address different applications (for prototypes and low-volume, small-lot manufacturing)

Typical Applications

• Cooling holes in gas turbine blades
• Aerofoil Laminar Flow
• Fuel Injection Nozzles
• Fuel Filters
• Inkjet Printer Nozzles
• PCB Via Interconnects
• Catheters
• MEMS

ONGOING APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS