A parametric study of laser drilling in aluminium and titanium Available to Purchase

The results of an extensive experimental study of the parameters which are of greatest importance in the single pulse Nd:YAG laser drilling of aluminium and titanium is presented. The dependence of entrance and exit hole diameters on drilling pulse energy, material thickness, the focal length of the processing lens and the distance of the workpiece from focus are investigated. The effects of these parameters are discussed with particular emphasis on the way in which these variables can be used to engineer holes of a particular size while providing a stable drilling regime in which the hole characteristics are not unduly sensitive to variations in the drilling/material parameters. Results illustrating the effect of the focal length of the processing lens on these regimes of stability are also presented.