Scratching the surface oflaser ablation

Laser ablation is the controlled removal of material
from a surface by irradiating it with a laser beam.
Applications of laser ablation include:
Surface cleaning – selective removal of

Surface modification – texturing andLaser processing is gentler than traditional

adhesive bonding, e.g. composites foradhesives, coatings and contamination.

The ablated material might be a
coating which has been applied to a
substrate, a layer of contamination,or the laser may simply be used toremove a layer of the base material
in order to modify its surface.

abrasive methods, as well as cleaner

and more environmentally friendly. The
ablation process works by breaking themolecular bonds within the material andvaporising it. Selective absorption often
ensures that the coating is removed

with no damage to the substrate. Depth
control depends on the laser, the opticalproperties of the material being removed,
and the substrate.

Uses include thermal contacting (e.g.
e-motor battery cases), electricalcontacting (e.g. hairpin coatings and metalfoils), general cleaning and removal ofresidues (e.g. rust, paint, mould).

cleaning of various surfaces to allow
automotive panels. Laser ablation

removes any contaminants and provides

a suitable surface to maximise adhesion.
Laser processing is much more efficientand precise than the equivalent manual ormechanical process, namely abrading thearea with sanding pads.

As well as the obvious process

improvements, laser surface preparation

techniques offer a range of environmental
benefits. For example laser ablation isused to eliminate the chemicals used inmany cleaning processes, and to reducematerial consumption in industries

including automotive, electronics andprinting.

Case study:
battery casing
ablation with
CO2 lasers

With the emergence of new technology

such as electric cars, battery production isincreasing throughout the world. Battery

module casings need to have their plastic
coatings partially removed for thermal

management, with quick and easy removal

being necessary to compete in this market.
CO2 lasers can ablate a range of coating

materials at thicknesses of up to 500
microns quickly and cleanly.

Luxinar’s application engineers have used

a galvanometer scanner system for speedy
removal of both plastic and adhesive fromthe surface of battery casings, exposing
the bare metal.

A range of laser powers can be used

for this type of application but due tothe requirement for high process speed
and throughput, the OEM series isrecommended.

Ablation of battery case coating

Case study:

e-motor enamel ablation of copper hairpins
Electric motors use copper “hairpins” –thick rectangular copper wires up to 6mmwide, which replace traditional copper
windings. Hairpins are coated with adielectric enamel (PEEK, PFA-PI, PA) toprovide electrical isolation; this enamelmust be selectively removed so that thehairpins can be welded and electricallycontacted.

Mechanical processes can damage thesurface of the copper and remove a thinlayer of expensive material; on the other
hand, laser processing is contactless.

Selective absorption means the coating

is removed without damaging the copper,
and with very little downtime or toolingneeded for any changes. A galvanometerscanner passes the laser beam rapidly

over the required area, turning the hairpin
midway through to process all sides.

CO2 lasers are used to remove enamelcoating from copper hairpins

In Luxinar’s application laboratory wehave demonstrated that enamel removalusing our CO2 lasers is a very fast process.
Removal rates depend on the type andthickness of coating, as well as the coating
method, but good results are generallypossible.

While the MULTISCAN® lasers are well

suited to this application, lasers from theElectric motor hairpin manufacturing

used.

and no copper is lostSR series to the OEM series may also beuses lasers as they are contactless, fastCase study:

ablation of metal
foils from asubstrateUltrashort pulse lasers may be used toThe constant drive towards miniaturisationedges, thus avoiding short circuits. We

aluminium or copper, for RFID and mobile

together as possible. These adjacent lines

lines 50µm apart (measured from centre

scribe metal foils, generally made ofdevice antenna applications. The laser

selectively removes the conductive metal
layer from a carrier or substrate material,
typically paper or polyimide, to fabricate
antennas and other flexible circuitcomponents.

calls for narrow lines to be scribed as close
must be electrically isolated from one

another, so they don’t form short circuits

between device features. A femtosecond
laser removes the metal cleanly fromthe substrate, with no damage to thesurrounding area and no burrs or roughhave used the LXR® 120-1030 to scribe

to centre), without significant damage tothe carrier material.

The LXR® series femtosecond laser
sources are recommended for thisapplication.

Case study:

surface cleaning –rotary print screens
In rotary screen printing, the mesh screen

A CO2 laser can be used to remove

takes the form of a hollow roller, withthe residue from the roller, selectivelyResidue builds up on the mesh roller

damaging the metal mesh and thus

pigment paste applied from the inside.
over time, causing the print quality andconsistency to deteriorate. This residue istraditionally removed by a waterjet process
but this is messy and inefficient, andcarries a risk of damaging the roller.

removing the printing paste without

allowing it to be re-used many times.
Luxinar’s SR series lasers arerecommended for this application, offering
a range of laser powers to cope withvarying thicknesses and speeds of residue
removal.

Case study:

direct engraving of printing plates
and rubber stamps
Laser ablation has numerous applications

A CO2 laser is used to selectively removein the printing industry. Lasers can be usedmaterial from the non-printing areas,

scale flexographic printing plates to small

rubber or polymer. Direct engraving with ato create a range of items, from industrial
rubber stamps for home or office use.
Printing plates and stamps may be

manufactured from a range of rubber,polymer and elastomer materials. Special“laser friendly” rubber is available, which
minimises odour levels during laserprocessing.

leaving the print design raised in theCO2 laser offers several advantages overtraditional methods. Digital designs canbe implemented quickly and easily; theprint-ready surface is prepared in a single
step, eliminating the multiple stages of

conventional photopolymer processing.

Also no chemicals are required, reducing

the environmental impact of the process.
Lasers from the SR series to the OEM
series are used across the printing
industry.

Rubber stamp

Flexographic printing plateCase study:

heat transfers for T-shirts
Laser ablation even finds uses within thethe transfer does not require “weeding”

machines can create designs on heatprocess of removing small pieces of waste

fashion industry. For example, CO2 lasertransfer films that are used to decorate
T-shirts and other fabric garments.

In this case the laser ablates a type oflaser-friendly transfer film from a carrier
layer, removing excess material andbefore use – this is the time-consuming

material from the design, which would beleft by simply cutting the profile out. Witha laser ablation process, all of the waste

is removed by the laser, reducing the total
process time significantly.

leaving only the required design intact.

Luxinar’s SR series lasers aregarment using a heat transfer press. Fully

moderate laser power is sufficient for fast

The design is then transferred to theablating the film has the advantage thatrecommended for this application, whereablation of the transfer material.

Case study:

surface cleaning – metal moulds
for the glass industry
Metal moulds are used in the glass

dirt and residue are ablated. Cleaning isand details in the blown glass. Typicallychemicals; compressed air is sufficient toindustry to create a range of shapes

made from brass, iron or aluminium,

these moulds require periodic cleaning

to remove residue from the surface. Thisis traditionally done by sandblasting.

Although this is an effective techniqueachieved without the use of abrasives orremove the ablated particles during thelaser process.

Luxinar’s SR series lasers are suggested
for this application.

it is messy, and the abrasive material

may damage the surface of the mould. Inaddition sandblasting carries implications

both for the health and safety of personnel
and for the environment.

A CO2 laser can be used in conjunction

with a galvanometer scanner to clean thesurface of a metal mould. The reflective

metal surface remains unaffected while

Glass bottle mould with laser-cleaned
areasCase study:

surface preparation for automotive parts

While modern materials have many

remove coatings or roughen smoothand highly controllable. No chemicals are

to enable adhesive bonding, and removal of

low weight and attractive appearance, they

components must be glued together.

order to incorporate rapid design changes.

panels and wheel arches.

superior properties, such as high strength,
have some less desirable characteristics

too. For example, very smooth painted orcoated surfaces generally make adhesive
bonding difficult. Lasers can selectively

surfaces, improving adhesion whennecessary, and no tooling is needed inoverspray paint from car bumpers, spoilers,

Laser ablation offers significant

Widely used across the automotive

Lasers from the SR series to theLaser processing is faster, more precise

ablation of painted plastic (PC/ABS) parts

speed and throughput requirements.

advantages over mechanical abrasion.

industry, applications include the selective

OEM series may be used, depending on

Benefits of

CO2 lasers vs conventional
mechanical processing:• Non-contact process increases
productivity• No tool wear or breakage means
downtime is reduced• No chemicals, abrasives or solvents used,
reducing environmental impact• Digital process with lower tooling costs• High level of accuracy• Fast and consistent process reduces time
to market• Flexible method that is easily automated• Design changes can be implemented
quickly and easily• Largely maintenance freeMULTISCAN® HE/VS – 125W
CO2 laser marking systems

The MULTISCAN® range of CO2 laser marking systems offers an inklessmethod of applying alphanumeric text, QR codes, 2D and traditional

barcodes, as well as complex graphics to a wide variety of materials;
marks can be made on substrates including glass, plastics, wood,paper, card, painted metals, and more. The flexible software allows

intelligent data to be placed anywhere within the specified scan area,

and the system can mark stationary objects or moving products which
need to be coded on the fly.

• Clean, ink-free production lines• Static or on the fly marking, scribing and drilling• Large scan area, up to 300x300mm• High quality vector generation for precise rendering of graphics• Low maintenance – fit and forget• Available in three wavelengths – 10.6μm, 10.25μm and 9.3μm

LXR® series

femtosecond laser sources

The LXR® series incorporates innovative technologies and designs:• A large dynamic range of pulse repetition frequencies and pulse energies to enable		 application-specific optimisation• A synchronisation signal for precise control in dynamic applications• Burst mode and pulse-on-demand for efficient processing and application optimisation• Detailed diagnostic/fault finding information via: web interface; PC application; optional		 mobile control unit

• An integrated alignment beam and safety shutter to ease integration• Wavelength options available at 1030nm, 515nm and 343nm• An auxiliary drive and chilling unit as standard

A watertight laser technology
Our SR series CO2 laser sources, SR 08s, SR 10i, SR 15i, SR15s and SR 25i, are all IP66

rated to ensure a high level of protection against water and dust ingress. This, together
with the reliability that our customers have come to expect from Luxinar, guarantees awatertight laser technology.
• IP66 rating• Wavelengths 10.6µm, 10.25µm, 9.3µm• Integrated and field replaceable RF power supplies• Compact, lightweight laser sources• Simple diagnostics• Minimum shipment power 20% higher than rated power
The simple control interface and compact mechanical design of the units allow easy

integration into laser-based processing machines used for cutting, marking, perforatingand drilling, among others. Throughput, economy, flexibility and reliability are the mainfeatures associated with the SR series of CO2 laser sources.

SR series – 80-250W
sealed CO2 laser sources

OEM series – 450-1000W
sealed CO2 laser sources
Power outputs up to 1000W• Most lasers are available in wavelengths 10.6µm, 10.25µm, 9.3µm• A high quality, round, symmetrical beam for high-speed processing applications• Short optical pulse for improved edge quality and minimal HAZ• Minimum shipment power 20% higher than rated power

The OEM series of CO2 lasers represents a compact solution that can be easily integrated

into industrial processing production lines. The RF power supply enables the laser toproduce short optical pulses with high peak power or quasi-CW output. There is also theoption for an absorbing thin film reflector (ATFR) to prevent back reflection issues.
The OEM series lasers use a single resonator design, producing laser light with alinear polarisation. With a beam quality of K > 0.8, power and precision are defining

characteristics of these lasers. Since many equipment manufacturers purchase thisrange to integrate into their equipment, these OEM laser sources are available without
the laser housing, if desired.

Applications laboratories
Could a laser be used to enhance your surface cleaning or modification process? We canhelp you to find out by testing samples of your product.

Our applications lab facilities are open to both new and existing customers and OEMs.
Our laboratories are well equipped to carry out a range of processes.

We offer rapid sample turnaround times, detailed application reports, and complimentary
advice from our experienced applications engineers.

We carry out application tests using your actual product samples. Guided by yourobjectives, we will try to replicate the conditions of your application as closely as possible
in the lab.

Upon completion, you will receive a detailed report outlining our findings, along withsome laser-processed samples for your evaluation. Most application tests can becompleted within 10 working days.

Whatever your process, we can help you to find the best laser for your application.

Contact us on https://www.luxinar.com/contact/ or info@luxinar.com
Follow us on social media:© 2022 Luxinar Ltd 903-0294-00 Rev 1LXR and MULTISCAN are registered trade marks (in the UK, EU and elsewhere) owned (in the UK, EU andelsewhere) by Luxinar Ltd, and must not be used without permission from the owner.