Dual light source machining method and system

• US 20050029240A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Translume, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Translume, Inc.
• Inventors: Bado, Philippe, Dugan, Mark A., Said, Ali A.
• Application Number:
  US10/914,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.820
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0613 having a common axis B23K26/0619 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0619 with spots located on opposed surfaces of the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0624 using ultrashort pulses, i.e. pulses of 1ns or less
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/57 the laser beam entering a face of the workpiece from which it is transmitted through the workpiece material to work on a different workpiece face, e.g. for effecting removal, fusion splicing, modifying or reforming
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/60 Preliminary treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0025 by a laser beam

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system useful for machining a workpiece, and having a first light source to generate a first beam for application to a first portion of the workpiece and ablation thereof, a second light source to generate a second beam for application to a second portion of the workpiece and heating thereof, and a positioning apparatus to direct the first and second beams to the first and second portions of the workpiece, respectively. The first light source may include a machining laser, and the second light source include a softening laser. A method of machining the workpiece includes the steps of removing a first portion of the workpiece by directing the first beam to the workpiece wherein the first beam has an intensity sufficient to ablate material from the workpiece, and heating a second portion of the workpiece to a ductile state by directing the second beam to the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method of machining a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

removing a first portion of the workpiece by directing a first light beam to the workpiece wherein the first light beam has an intensity sufficient to ablate material from the workpiece; and

heating a second portion of the workpiece to a ductile state by directing a second light beam to the workpiece.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing and heating steps are performed concurrently.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating step is performed before the removing step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating step is performed after the removing step to reshape a region of the workpiece affected by the removing step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating step is performed both before and after the removing step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises the first portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises a region common to both of the first and second portions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second light beams are directed through different surfaces of the workpiece.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second light beam has a wavelength absorbed by the workpiece such that the second portion is heated to a temperature within an undercooled-melt range of temperatures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first light beam delivers high-intensity pulses to the first portion sufficient for ablation but without significant melting, and wherein the second beam provides localized heating in the second portion without ablation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the high-intensity pulses are ultrashort such that the first light beam ablates material through non-linear absorption.

12. A system for machining a workpiece, comprising:

a first light source to generate a first beam for application to a first portion of the workpiece and ablation thereof;

a second light source to generate a second beam for application to a second portion of the workpiece and heating thereof;

a positioning apparatus to direct the first and second beams to the first and second portions of the workpiece, respectively.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second beams are applied to the workpiece concurrently.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second beam is applied to the workpiece before the first beam is applied to the workpiece.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second beam is applied to the workpiece after the first beam is applied to the workpiece to reshape a region of the workpiece affected by the first beam.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the second beam is applied to the workpiece both before and after the first beam is applied to the workpiece.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the second portion comprises the first portion.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the workpiece comprises a region common to both of the first and second portions.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the positioning apparatus directs the first and second beams through different surfaces of the workpiece.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the second beam has a wavelength absorbed by the workpiece such that the second portion is heated to a temperature within an undercooled-melt range of temperatures.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the first beam delivers high-intensity pulses to the first portion sufficient for ablation but without significant melting, and wherein the second beam provides localized heating in the second portion without ablation.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the high-intensity pulses are ultrashort such that the first beam ablates material through non-linear absorption.

23. A system for machining a workpiece, comprising:

a machining laser to generate a first beam;

a softening laser to generate a second beam; and

a positioning apparatus to direct the first and second beams to first and second portions of the workpiece, respectively.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the workpiece comprises a region common to both the first and second portions.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the second portion comprises the first portion.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the positioning apparatus directs the first and second light beams in non-parallel fashion.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the positioning apparatus directs the first and second light beams through different surfaces of the workpiece.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the first beam comprises ultrashort pulses.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the first beam comprises high- intensity pulses such that the first beam delivers energy to the first portion sufficient for ablation but without significant melting.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the second beam provides localized heating in the second portion without ablation.