# 6 Laser Beam Machining
# 6 Laser Beam Machining
# 6 Laser Beam Machining
(LBM)
Introduction
NB: in this case “” is used to represent frequency it is not v = velocity You
will only see the version with f in your exam! Mr Powell 2008
Index
Laser Summary
We put energy into the atom and
excite an electron to pump it to Level
4
Excited State
Spontaneous
Energy
Emission
Metastable State
Introduction
Stimulated
Energy
Emission of
Radiation
Ground State
10
Characteristics of Lasers
The light emitted from a laser is monochromatic,
that is, it is of one color/wavelength. In contrast,
ordinary white light is a combination of many colors
(or wavelengths) of light.
Lasers emit light that is highly directional, that is,
laser light is emitted as a relatively narrow beam in a
specific direction. Ordinary light, such as from a light
bulb, is emitted in many directions away from the
source.
The light from a laser is said to be coherent, which
means that the wavelengths of the laser light are in
phase in space and time. Ordinary light can be a
mixture of many wavelengths. 11
Ordinary light vs. Laser Light
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DIFFERENT PUMPING MECHANISMS
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Components of all Lasers
1. Active Medium
The active medium may be solid crystals such as ruby or Nd:YAG, liquid dyes,
gases like CO2 or Helium/Neon, or semiconductors such as GaAs. Active
mediums contain atoms whose electrons may be excited to a metastable
energy level by an energy source.
2. Excitation Mechanism
Excitation mechanisms pump energy into the active medium by one or more
of three basic methods; optical, electrical or chemical.
Energy (Joules)
Energy (Watts)
Time Time
Continuous wave, pulsed mode (nano, pico and femto second lasers).
In CW lasers, continuous pumping of the laser emits light, while in a
pulsed laser, there is a laser power-off period between two successive
pulses.
Pulsed lasers are preferred for machining as the processing
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parameters can be more effectively controlled compared to continuous
Types of machining laser
• Gas Laser
– Carbon dioxide
• Optically pumped solid-state Laser
Gas Laser
Introduction :
CO2 lasers belong to the class of molecular gas lasers.
In the case of atoms, electrons in molecules can be
excited to higher energy levels, and the distribution of
electrons in the levels define the electronic state of the
molecule.
Besides, these electronic levels, the molecules have other
energy levels.
C.K.N. Patel designed CO2 laser in the year 1964.
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CO2 LASER
Active medium :
It consists of a mixture of CO2, N2 and helium or water
vapour. The active centres are CO2 molecules lasing on the
transition between the rotational levels of vibrational
bands of the electronic ground state.
.
Optical resonators :
A pair of concave mirrors placed on either side of the
discharge tube, one completely polished and the other
partially polished.
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CO2 LASER
Pumping :
Population inversion is created by electric discharge of
the mixture.
When a discharge is passed in a tube containing CO2,
electron impacts excite the molecules to higher
electronic and vibrational-rotational levels.
This level is also populated by radiationless transition
from upper excited levels.
The resonant transfer of energy from other molecules,
such as, N2, added to the gas, increases the pumping
efficiency.
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CO2 LASER
Nitrogen here plays the role that He plays in He-Ne
laser.
Lasing medium :
The host medium for this laser is Yttrium Aluminium
Garnet (YAG = Y3 Al5 O12) with 1.5% trivalent
neodymium ions (Nd3+) present as impurities.
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Contd.
When an (Nd3+) ion is placed in a host crystal
lattice it is subjected to the electrostatic field of the
surrounding ions, the so called crystal field.
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Nd: YAG laser
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The length of the Nd: YAG laser rod various from
5cm to 10cm depending on the power of the laser
and its diameter is generally 6 to 9 mm.
The laser rod and a linear flash lamp are housed in a
elliptical reflector cavity
Since the rod and the lamp are located at the foci of
the ellipse, the light emitted by the lamp is effectively
coupled to the rod.
The ends of the rod are polished and made optically
flat and parallel.
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Contd.
• The optical cavity is formed either by silvering the
two ends of the rod or by using two external
reflecting mirrors.
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OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS :
The laser output is in the form of pulses with higher
repetition rate
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Contd.
• YAG beams penetrate the lens of the eye to perform
intracular procedures.
• YAG lasers are used in military as range finders and
target designators.
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Optically pumped solid state lasers
• The active atoms of the laser medium are
embedded in a solid, typically a rod of crystal or
glass, with parallel, flat ends which are optically
ground and polished. The rod may have coated
ends to form the optical cavity needed;
alternatively external mirrors can be used.
E.G. Ruby laser
The three-level-type lasing action in a ruby laser requires high
pumping, normally provided by pulsing action. The typical
output wavelength and power of the ruby laser are
respectively 0.6943 m and 400J.
Nd:YAG Laser
• Nd:YAG lasers are solid state lasers that use dopants
(Neodinium (Nd3+)) dispersed in a crystalline matrix
(complex crystal of Yttrium–Aluminum–Garnet (YAG) with
chemical composition Y3Al5O12) to generate laser light.
• Excitation is attained by krypton or xenon flash lamps and
an output wavelength of 1.06 µm in the near-infrared
region of the spectrum can be obtained.
• Nd:YAG fibre lasers are used in applications requiring low
pulse repetition rate and high pulse energies (up to 100
J/pulse) such as hole piercing and deep keyhole welding
applications.
Nd:YAG Laser
Process characteristics of different lasers
Laser machining - Introduction
• Interaction of an intense, highly directional,
coherent, and monochromatic beam of light
with a workpiece, from which material is
removed by vaporization.
Laser power intensity
Laser Beam Machining
Optical Unit
• Mirrors direct the beam from the source down to the lens
• the lens then focuses the beam into the desired geometry
Drilling
Cutting
Scribing
Controlled fracturing
Trimming of electronic components
Applications
Laser Applications
Wood
Paper
Leather
Glass
Ceramic
Metal
• Primarily 2D Systems
Fig. The ablation rates (material removal rates) of laser micromachining vs. laser
fluences (energy densities)
Effect of process parameters
Fig. Variation of surface roughness with laser power and feed rate (cutting speed)
during CO2 laser cutting of 1.27mm steel sheet.
Effect of process parameters
Fig. Kerf width with laser output power at various cutting speeds
Material removal in LBM
Machining by laser occurs when the power
density of the beam is greater than what is
lost by conduction, convection, and radiation,
and moreover, the radiation must penetrate
and be absorbed into the material.
The power density of the laser beam, Pd, is
given by
Material removal in LBM
Material removal in LBM
h = thickness of material, mm
d = spot size diameter, mm
s