How to improve an ultrashort-pulse laser process?

Laser beam shaping is the way to optimize microdrilling with ultrashort-pulse lasers, improving the accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency of the process for an industrial use.

Ultrashort-pulse (USP) lasers are increasingly being used for material processing at an industrial scale, allowing high machining accuracy without most of the thermal damage normally occurring with longer-pulse lasers.

Benefiting from the perks of USP-lasers, the process of laser microdrilling allows fast, precise and uniform processing of a wide variety of materials for several industrial applications (automotive, aerospace, electronics… ). It however needs to be improved for maximum effectiveness, quality and efficiency, as USP-lasers are still offering limited output.

That is why laser beam shaping, a technique allowing optimization of laser-matter interactions, is progressively being adopted as the technical solution for perfecting the process of USP-laser microdrilling, paving the way for a cost-effective and efficient use in industry.

The following article, published in the March/April issue of Industrial Laser Solutions, describes why laser beam shaping is necessary for microdrilling with ultrashort-pulse lasers.

By Sami Laroui

Sami Laroui, who holds Master’s degrees in materials science and innovation and entrepreneurship, joined Cailabs in 2018. As a pre-sales engineer, he contributes to the development and commercialization of innovative optical solutions, that optimize the quality and performance of laser machining processes.