Laser-Based Meso/Micro Rapid Manufacturing System (original) (raw)
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Laser-assisted micromachining techniques: an overview of principles, processes, and applications
Laser-assisted micro-machining (LAMM) has emerged as a transformative technology in precision manufacturing, enabling the creation of highly intricate micro-features on various materials. This paper provides a foundational overview of LAMM technology, exploring its fundamentals, methods, and applications. The construction of the LAMM temperature field is examined because it is crucial to improve its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study delves into the development of industrial femtosecond laser micromachining systems, explores fabrication techniques using LAMM, and discusses its role in the production of ceramics and semiconductors. Furthermore, it examines the capabilities of LAMM in creating 3D microstructures and explores the materials commonly used in laser micromachining. Overall, this paper gives valuable insights into the possible uses of laser-based micromachining technologies in various domains, such as the semiconductor industry, microfluidics, optics, etc. and emphasises the need for additional research to overcome its limitations and increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
SN Applied Sciences, 2020
This paper presents the process development and characterization towards microstructural realization using laser micromachining for MEMS. Laser micromachining technique is environmental friendly, fast patterning and able to avoid multi steps in conventional lithography based microfabrication techniques. This research focuses on understanding the dimensional properties of materials of the laser beam on the silicon wafers where microstructures were fabricated. Four main parameters like rectangular variable aperture (RVA-XY) size, number of pulse, stage/table feed rate and laser energy play important role in laser ablation process. The pattern of the microchannel or line with 1 cm length was drawn by AutoCAD software or any CAD software. The pattern in the CAD software is then transferred onto the silicon wafer by using laser micromachining. Finally, high power microscope (HPM) and Stylus Profiler will be used as measurement tools for observing and analysing the width and depth of the microchannel structures fabricated by laser micromachining. When using bigger size of RVA, it will lead to bigger microchannel width. There are a little effects or almost comparable in term of microchannel depth if varying all parameters' value. Surface roughness test also needs to be considered before choosing the best setting for the laser ablation.
Pulsed Laser Assisted Micromilling for Die/Mold Manufacturing
ASME 2007 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference, 2007
Laser assisted machining is an alternative to conventional machining of hard and/or difficult-to-process materials which involves pre-heating of a focused area with a laser beam over the surface of the workpiece to cause localized thermal softening along the path of the cutting action. The main advantage that laser assisted machining has over conventional machining is the increased material removal rate and productivity. Laser assisted micromilling is a scaled down derivative of laser assisted machining assuming that the process effectiveness potentially exists at the meso/micro scale. It is well-known that continuous-wave (c.w.) lasers generate a wide and deep heat affected zone, and can cause microstructure alterations, potentially making laser assistance counter-productive at the meso/micro scale. The novel use of a pulsed laser in assisting micromilling enables processing of die/mold metal alloys that are typically hard and/or difficult-to-process in micro scale, while reducing the heat affected zone. A fairly innovative technique is introduced by thermally softening only the focused microscale area of the work material with induced heat from a pulsed laser, and material removal is performed immediately with micro mechanical end milling. The focus of this paper is to present a fundamental understanding of the pulsed laser assisted micromilling (PLAM), in particular, to investigate the influence of pulsing on microscale localized thermal softening by coupling with the finite element simulation of the micromilling process. Experiments and Finite element method-based process simulations for micromilling of AISI 4340 steel with and without the laser assistance are conducted to study the influence of the pulsed laser thermal softening on the reduction in cutting forces and its influence on the temperature rise in the cutting tool.
Application of high intensity short pulse lasers to precision micromanufacturing
High density of energy-required by very hard materials 2. Precision & repeatability 3. Enabled for high-selective ablation 4. Not intrusive-high flexibility noncontact machining 5. Very reduced HAZ 5 Micro-manufacturing LASER MICRO vs MACROMACHINING Are laser systems going to play the same role in micro applications that they played in macro-processing? Fuel injector section EXTREME LIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE
Short pulse laser microforming of thin metal sheets for MEMS manufacturing
Applied Surface Science, 2007
Continuous and long-pulse lasers have been used for the forming of metal sheets for macroscopic mechanical applications. However, for the manufacturing of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), the applicability of such type of lasers is limited by the long-relaxation-time of the thermal fields responsible for the forming phenomena. As a consequence of such slow relaxation, the final sheet deformation state is attained only after a certain time, what makes the generated internal residual stress fields more dependent on ambient conditions and might make difficult the subsequent assembly process for MEMS manufacturing from the point of view of residual stresses due to adjustment.The use of ns laser pulses provides a suitable parameter matching for the laser forming of an important range of sheet components used in MEMS that, preserving the short interaction time scale required for the predominantly mechanic (shock) induction of deformation residual stresses, allows for the successful processing of components in a medium range of miniaturization but particularly important according to its frequent use in such systems.In the present paper, a discussion is presented on the specific features of laser interaction in the timescale and intensity range needed for thin sheet microforming with ns-pulse lasers along with relevant modelling and experimental results and a primary delimitation of the parametric space of the considered class of lasers for the referred processes. #
Industrial freeform generation of microtools by laser micro sintering
Rapid Prototyping Journal - RAPID PROTOTYPING J, 2005
Purpose – Examples are given for the technical applicability of a novel development of selective laser sintering called “laser micro sintering”. Design/methodology/approach – Together with a specific method to produce powder layers, the controlled application of pulsed radiation for the processing of sub-μm grained metal powders was exploited to produce micro-tools with a heretofore unattained structural resolution. Findings – High resolution micro bodies are displayed. Instruments could be generated which proved to fulfil their designation as grip bits for micro manipulators. The micro-bodies can be generated detachably from or firmly fixed to the construction substrate. The material of the generated bodies withstands the traction forces when used as an injection mold for polymer casts. Research limitations/implications – Densities and structural resolutions can still be improved especially with a newly updated version of the equipment. Laser micro sintering of materials, other tha...
Laser Rapid Manufacturing on Vertical Surfaces: Analytical and Experimental Studies
2013
Analytical and experimental studies on geometrical aspects of the deposited tracks were carried out at different processing parameters for laser rapid manufacturing (LRM) in vertical surface configuration using AISI type 304 stainless steel powder on the substrate of the same material. The vertical downward shift of the deposited track and its peak due to the gravity flow of the melt were found to follow quadratic dependence on the track height. The downward rounded bulging was found to be quite significant for the scan speeds lesser than 200 mm/min, while this was insignificant for the scan speeds more than 400 mm/min. A set of consolidated processing parameters for continuous material deposition was identified. The threshold value of laser energy and powder fed, both per unit traverse length for the continuous deposition were found to be~96 J/mm and~0.006 g/mm respectively. The maximum powder catchment efficiency was~42% for stand-off distances in the range of 15-18 mm. The surface waviness factor was found to decrease from~0.95 to~0.05 when the overlap index was increased from 30% to 80%. The study provides a deeper insight into the ensuing geometrical aspects of the tracks using LRM in vertical configuration.
Micromanufacturing: A review—part II
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture
This article discusses an overview of microforming, microcasting and microwelding processes. In the case of microforming, the processes reviewed are micro deep drawing, microforging, microextrusion, microrolling, microstamping, microhydroforming and incremental microforming. This section also throws some light on how the lasers have been used for microbending and micropunching purposes. The work done in the area of physics of microforming processes has also been discussed briefly. This article also deals with different types of microcasting processes particularly permanent mold and investment microcasting processes. The applications of these microcasting processes have been specified in different fields of engineering, biomedical and so on. Some areas in which further research work is needed have been identified. It includes both theoretical and experimental works which need attention. The last part of this article deals with microjoining in general and laser microjoining in particular. This section discusses the types of the lasers that are being used for microjoining purposes. The process parameters (laser, optics, system and material) have been explained, and some work done on the parametric analysis has been reported briefly. Various applications of laser microjoining have been elaborated before the last section on concluding remarks. This last section presents, in very brief, the areas in which further work is required in microjoining processes.