Laser Assisted Machining

About

Laser Assisted Machining for Ceramic and Hard Materials Inventors: Federico Sciammarella, Joseph Santner, Stefan Kyselica The Technology An estimated 70% of the costs of precision structural ceramic parts are directly due to the current manufacturing methods used to obtain critical part dimensions and features. Currently diamond grinding is used to manufacture parts requiring superior surface quality and final dimensional tolerances of parts per million. Laser assisted machining reduces this cost by increasing material removal rates and eliminating grinding tooling changes and costs.  This technology employs multiple laser beams under computer control. Prior approaches to laser assisted machining produced very simple parts having a simple shapes. Employing multiple laser beams under computer control allows the operator to more effectively control the distribution of the thermal energy and thereby provides additional processing freedom to improve the material removal rates.   The Science behind the Technology Primary Academic Discipline: Engineering A multi-beam fiber laser system is integrated with a 5-axis machining center providing an improved method for laser assisted machining of precision parts. The system utilizes a computer to develop interrelated heating and machining plans, from a variety of input data describing the material to be machined, the properties of lasers and pyrometers used for heating the material, computer models of the machining arrangement, workpiece, and final part to be produced.  An iterative process continues until the machining and heating plans result in the heated region of the workpiece being maintained at a desired temperature while also maintaining the cutting tool at desired temperature. Status: Patent Pending Easy Machining of Hard Materials® See the process in action: https://youtu.be/M9pehRc5H-c