Micromachining
The drive to reduce component size in a variety of industries is bringing lasers into applications formerly addressed by older technologies. Lasers assist in this miniaturization process by providing a highly focused beam which can process very small feature sizes. This focused beam has the benefit of reducing thermal effects during material processing, which results in the ability to process thinner and more delicate materials than with other processes. Additionally, lasers allow for non-contact processing so there is no tooling wear and the beam can be quickly and precisely manipulated, resulting in high throughput processing. Contamination becomes a significant issue as component feature sizes shrink, but non-contact processing with lasers often results in a dramatic reduction in particulate accumulation in the work area.
Specific micromachining applications of lasers include low heat-affected zone welding, precision cutting, micro bending, high-security marking, stereolithography, and non-contact soldering.
JDSU offers several lasers that address micromachining markets, including the Industrial Fiber Laser, as well as the DualChip, PowerChip, and MicroChip solid state lasers. These lasers are air-cooled, keeping manufacturing floor space and utility requirements to a minimum.
Diode Laser, 9xx nm, Fiber-Coupled, 10 W, Feedback Protection (6398-L4i Series)
Industrial Diode Laser (IDL) Subsystem
Industrial Fiber Laser (IFL) Subsystem
Laser, Solid-State, Q-Switched, 355/532 (Q Series)
