Water-Guided Laser Cutting with Virtually No Heat Impact

Single Source Technologies (SST; Auburn Hills, MI) is the exclusive distributor in North America of the unique Laser MicroJet® (LMJ) M-series of 3-axis and 5-axis machines from Synova S.A. (Lausanne, Switzerland). These water-guided laser cutting systems enable substantial reduction of total cost of ownership in high-precision material processing. The water-guided laser beam cuts and drills perfectly parallel and clean kerfs or holes with virtually no heat impact. As a consequence, production yields are greatly improved. Post-Laser process steps are frequently eliminated, translating into parts produced at a level of quality and reliability that cannot be achieved by other manufacturing techniques. The 5-axis MCS 500 system offers unique benefits to hole-drillers and shops that micro-machine metals, ceramics and composite materials with high precision in aerospace, energy (industrial gas turbines), defense, medical, automotive, hard material tool making and general metal micro-machining.

Using water to guide the laser to a given workpiece has the following advantages:

• Water guides the laser: The application becomes insensitive to the focal plane of the laser. A cylindrical laser beam is created resulting in perfectly parallel walls, tight kerf widths and enabling the user to cut thick or non-flat parts, without having to worry about being in focus.

• Water cools the material: Heat is generated during laser ablation. When using a conventional laser system, a significant amount of the laser energy is absorbed by the surrounding material, creating an unwanted heat-affected zone. With an LMJ, much of the energy dissipates into the water and not in the material. There is very little heat-affected zone with the LMJ. Stress-induced conditions such as micro-cracking, thermal damage or deformation are greatly reduced.

• Water cleans the surface: When using a conventional laser, a portion of a laser-ablated material tends to redeposit and solidify, creating an unwanted slag condition. With the LMJ, the water displaces that material before it solidifies, translating into a much cleaner entrance, wall and exit surfaces without particle deposition or burrs.

The base MCS platform is manufactured by Makino, Inc. (Mason, OH) in a 3-axis or 5-axis configuration for the MCS 300 and the MCS 500, with other sizes for larger workpieces considered for the future. “The Laser MicroJet offers unique laser cutting capabilities that complement our extensive machining and engineering portfolios very well. For example, coupling it with our EDBV series of EDM machines enables users to drill a complete blade with optimum output, including the drilling of non-line-of-sight holes,” noted Mark Logan, the director of Makino/SST, which also provides full technical and after-sales support of the machines.

Single Source Technologies, 2600 Superior Court, Auburn Hills, MI 48236, 248-232-6250, www.singlesourcetech.com.