DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR THE LASER MACHINING OF CERAMICAND GLASS-CERAMIC MATERIALS

A laser machining model for ceramics and glass ceramics is developed f rom the analytical treatment of a one-dimensional vaporization problem with a distributed heat source. Analytical solutions are derived for evolution of the material system from an arbitrary initial state to a quasisteady state. The developed solutions are used to predict the beh avior of high-intensity Nd:YAG laser pulses (up to 10(7) W/cm(2), ms d uration) on a typical ceramic or glass ceramic material. Predictions i nclude the critical intensity required for vaporization of material I- c, the material removal Delta M, and thickness of the affected residua l surface layer S after a single laser pulse of given shape and intens ity. Predictions are compared with the numerical calculations from a c ommercially available software package. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.