LASER MATERIAL REMOVAL OF CERAMIC AND METAL WORKPIECES

Various structures like moulds, cavities and textures can be machined in hardest and non-conductive materials using pulsed laser radiation. Possible disadvantages of the process are variation in removal quality and partial reagglomeration of the molten material. This paper review s recent applications of the laser texturing and milling techniques. R esults of investigations on the influence of process parameters and on the removal strategy will be shown. The machined result is characteri sed by the removal rate and the extension of heat affected zones as we ll as geometric accuracy and surface roughness. Process improvements c an be achieved with preselected parameters, remelting of the material surface and an on-line process-control.