Laser ablation is a method of removing matter from a surface with a laser pulse. This method is usually used in manufacturing to obtain the desired cut or engraving on a workpiece.
What is laser ablation?
A laser beam is focused on a workpiece to raise the temperature of the material for the purpose of marking, engraving or cleaning the surface. Laser ablation requires high enough laser energy to exceed the ablation threshold of the material and vaporize it.
To get the desired result with less time and high productivity, this is the subtractive technology used.
- As a rule, pulsed lasers are best suited for laser ablation because they can produce short bursts of high-intensity laser radiation. But a continuous laser is also suitable for this work, provided it can produce laser energy of sufficiently high intensity.
!! Laser ablation is used in laser markers, laser cleaning machines, laser engravers, and fiber lasers for metal cutting.
Advantages of laser ablation
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With the appropriate laser power settings, laser ablation is used to heat up and remove some of the material from the workpiece. This makes the process non-contact.
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This method eliminates the need for consumables (e.g. drills) and reduces the operating costs of the production process.
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Laser ablation is an effective way to clean the surface of a workpiece without using any chemicals.
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A great way to prevent surface damage and reduce the need for a reliable drainage system, which again has a positive effect on production costs and the environmental load.
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With laser ablation the need for skilled labor is lost and the repeatability of production operations is increased