Experiments have been conducted to investigate the effect of an ‘assist’ gas (compressed air) on the single pulse NdYAG laser drilling of titanium. The percentage of holes breaking through the exit surface of the workpiece is determined for arrays of holes drilled without an ‘assist’ gas and with ‘assist’ gasses of different pressures. Breakthrough percentages were measured for different laser pulse energies and for various thicknesses of material under different ‘assist’ gas conditions. Regimes are identified in which the use of a gas assists drilling and others in which it hinders.
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