Laser Drilling
Capable of handling production from prototype through large-scale fabrication, EBTEC utilizes 18 laser machines to meet our customers' precision Laser Drilling needs. Our machines utilize advanced CO2, YAG, and Fiber drilling technology, with output ranging from .400kw to 1.7kw, and can perform Laser Engraving on your finished components.
EBTEC strives to ensure fast, precise component fabrication and servicing for our customers. We utilize a pulse drilling process to efficiently drill into a variety of materials, producing a minimal amount of recast. All of our laser machines are CNC controlled; some utilize a 5- or 6-axis control and others utilize a fully articulated wrist. As part of our Quality Assurance Services, we utilize two airflow benches for Laser Drilling.
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About Laser Drilling
Laser Drilling is a process that can be used to drill alloys and composites that cannot be drilled by conventional methods. In many cases, Laser Drilling is the only solution for many drilling challenges. Some of the benefits of utilizing EBTEC's Laser Drilling Service for laser hole drilling include:
- 5- or 6-axis laser control
- Faster than any conventional method
- Creating entrance angles not possible with contact machining
- Minimal mechanical force on workpiece
- Low dimensional variability
- Low distortion
- Highly repeatable
The Value of Laser Drilling
Benefits of Laser Drilling Services:
- Processing of high-alloy metals without difficulty
- Low tool cost, no tool wear
- Drills angled holes and difficult access holes
- Economic setup time
Limitations of Laser Drilling Services:
- Laser holes are tapered to some extent (approximately 1% of the drill depth)
- Cannot drill a blind hole to a precise depth
- Adherent metal to be removed from exit hole
- Slower processing large holes due to trepanning
The Laser Drilling Process
The LASER, an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation," is a device that produces a concentrated, coherent beam of light by stimulating molecular or electronic transitions to lower energy levels, causing the emission of photons. In the laser hole drilling process, the solid-state laser utilizes a single crystal rod with parallel, flat ends, with each end having reflective surfaces. A high-intensity light source, or flash tube, surrounds the crystal. When power is supplied by the PFN (pulse-forming network), an intense pulse of light (photons) will be released through one end of the crystal rod. The light being released is of single wavelength, thus allowing for minimum divergence.
In Laser Drilling, 100% of the laser light will be reflected off the rear mirror, and 30 to 50% will pass through the front mirror. The laser light will continue through the shutter assembly to the angled mirror and down through the focusing lens to the workpiece. The laser light beam in our laser hole drilling process is coherent and has a high energy content. When focused on a surface, laser light creates the heat used for laser hole drilling.
The workpiece and the laser beam are manipulated by means of robotics. The laser beam can be adjusted to varying sizes and heat intensity, from .004 to .040 inches. The smaller size is used for drilling, and the larger for heat treating.