Laser ablation

Laser ablation occurs when high fluence, short wavelength laser radiation interacts with attenuating materials. A problem that dogs laser ablation machining in the industrial theatre is debris: solid, melt and vapour are all generated. This is a problem borne of micro-particulate debris and van der Waals, electrostatic and capillary forces, to strongly adhere debris to surfaces which are difficult and costly to clean.Ablating under closed thick film flowing filtered water immersion offers high levels of debris control during machining, presenting a novel and promising solution. Initial analysis reveals that use of such a technique brings about modification to the contributors that combine to produce laser ablation: laser etching, acoustic type mechanical etching and thermal effects, by increased plume confinement.