Apart from simply cutting materials, lasers can be used for a range of other techniques, as listed below:
- Perforating:Laser perforation is a process whereby a small hole, roughly the diameter of the beam, is made through the material. These holes are often very close to each other. An example of perforation would be the creation of tear lines in vehicle interior trim components so that they separate as intended when an airbag is deployed.
- Seaming:Seaming is a type of welding used to bond two thin materials to each other. It is often used on fabrics, as well as for welding thin metal components like those found in battery housings.
- Etching:Laser etching melts a thin surface layer of material in a prescribed pattern. It removes no more than 0.0001 inches of material and leaves a high-contrast image. Etching is often used to permanently mark components for traceability.
- Engraving:Laser engraving ablates surface material away to produce a 3D design. Two common techniques include concave and convex engraving.
- Marking:Laser marking is used to discolor the surface of a material by using a low-power laser beam. Unlike laser etching, laser marking does not remove any material from the surface. For some metals, the surface is annealed, which causes a color change.
- Drilling:Laser drilling is an alternative to mechanical drilling using a rotating drill bit. It is often used to cut very small, high aspect ratio holes of as small as 0.002” (~50 microns). These holes can be made to be extremely precise.
