Video #Research

Ultrashort pulse laser: how it works in the manufacturing process

The concentrated power of the laser pulses allows any material to be processed quickly, precisely, and economically, and this on a mass scale. Used correctly, ultrashort laser pulses provide the solution for manufacturing processes. By correctly selecting the right pulse duration and energy, and by focusing the laser correctly, the material is irradiated so fast and so powerfully that it sublimates (i.e. it evaporates without visibly melting). This enables tiny areas only a few millionths of a millimeter (nanometers) in size to be successively removed. A computer-controlled system of mirrors directs the laser pulses to the right spot at lightning speed. Hundreds of thousands of pulses per second enable melt-free, high-precision machining. A current of air provides the suction needed to remove the sublimated material. Success for Bosch, Trumpf, and the University of Jena. The Office of the German Federal President announced that their use of extremely short laser pulses to open up new perspectives in series production has earned them a nomination for the President’s Future Prize.

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