Application of lasers in mold fabrication Available to Purchase

This paper provides an overview of major application areas of laser material processing in mold fabrication. The first area is mold engraving using a laser marking system to deep engrave alphanumeric characters or logos into a mold or to micromachine features into the mold that cannot be accomplished by conventional CNC machining techniques. Another area is the use of lasers machining techniques to fabricate EDM electrodes (metal or graphite) with excellent detail and quality. We are also introducing a new technique known as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to apply a thin coating to the mold surface to improve surface wear properties of the tool thereby increasing tool lifetime. This is particularly significant in the case of rapid tools such as Direct AIM and aluminum bridge tooling. This overview will provide a coherent picture of how laser materials processing techniques can provide unique opportunities for mold fabrication.