LASER MACHINING
tools that pick up less fl uid and/or debris, mark implants for tracking and add textures that aid in implant acceptance. Also laser texturing can be used indirectly in the production of molds and dies for medical components.” For these applications, the most recent developments in laser texturing are the femto lasers and dual laser systems. “Femto cold lasers create perfectly sharp corners and edges because they generate completely burr-free surfac- es. Burrs are even undetectable when the cutting surface is viewed under a microscope. This new class of laser opens up a variety of new materials for medical applications including ceramics and gems—such as sapphire, various polymers and glass,” said Ledvon. Femto lasers are able to cut more intri- cate patterns than previous laser tech- nologies because the laser beams are smaller and can create smaller details in parts. More intricate cutting capabilities boost laser texturing’s benefi ts for the smallest of medical applications. In addition to femto/cold lasers, the other signifi cant technological break- through in laser texturing is the develop- ment of fi ve-axis dual-laser systems. A dual-laser system is one that can auto- matically change its laser source from one type to another within seconds. This allows manufacturers to machine a wider variety of materials on a single machine than with single-laser systems. Such increased versatility means that manu- facturers can perform more work from one laser texturing machine than was previously possible. “With single-laser systems, operators can manipulate
the laser’s strength by changing the laser power settings, which give a certain degree of control, but the ability to change to a different type of laser entirely offers much more substantial control over the laser texturing process,” said Ledvon. “Fast changes between laser sources are especially important for those medical shops that experi- ence frequent shifts in part demands and designs. Those shops depend on fl exible equipment to quickly respond to the needs of their customers.”
As the use of laser texturing continues to grow, fi ve-axis machine movement has further improved it. With fi ve-axis capability, manufacturers dramatically improve their produc-
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | November 2016
tivity because this machining process dramatically reduces the need to manually manipulate workpieces during the part production cycle. Laser texturing technology also undercuts round shapes, meaning that the underside of a sphere can be machined without turning the part over. The reduction in necessary setups also eliminates stacked errors from fi nished parts. “A current limitation to laser texturing is the size of the
Laser welding nickel-based aerospace alloys is both possible and practical fol- lowing guidelines established by Prima Power Laserdyne engineers to meet the exacting requirements of airframe as well as for aero-engine applications.
laser fi eld, which is only as wide as the lens of the laser. Once texturing is complete within that fi eld, the machine must readjust to place an untexturized surface under the lens. However, new technology in automatic laser position- ing is on the horizon and will eliminate this barrier. Such cutting-edge technol- ogy will enable lasers to follow along a machining surface without having to stop and reposition. Automatic adjust- ments could make the laser texturing process up to 20 to 30% faster than it is currently,” said Ledvon. GF Machining offers modular workholding systems and automation to further enhance the productivity of laser texturing. Process automation makes laser texturing a more viable machining process for high-production environments because the automation increases the production capacity of the machine. Additionally, modular work- holding systems easily integrate laser texturing with other processes that a manufacturer may already use. Produc-
tion parts can mount on pallets with a reference system that transfers across multiple machining processes and eliminates the need to re-reference parts between steps, which drasti- cally reduces setup times.
“On the design side of manufacturing, laser texturing opens the door for greater legal protection of innovative and proprietary textures and patterns. Also, laser texturing can be used to protect against counterfeit parts. Through the part program, a user can create a unique texture code on a nano scale. Industry experts predict that nano-sized textures will eventually be used in medical component traceability. In these instances, a manufacturer would create a unique pattern, invisible to the naked eye, to mark parts and identify those they produced,” said Ledvon.
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