HIPERDIAS has taken an important step towards the goal of delivering kilowatt-class Ultra Short Pulse (USP) laser materials processing with the installation of a 500W system at IFSW. The IFSW laser integrates a customised Satsuma seed laser provided by AMPLITUDE SYSTEMES and is housed in a machine developed by HIPERDIAS partner LASEA SA. The system delivers pulses of around 300fs and will be upgraded to kilowatt levels with the integration of a new AMPLITUDE SYSTEMS 200W seed in October 2018. In the meantime, process development on the 3D ablation of silicon structures has commenced at the IFSW. The picture below shows first Si ablation trials.
HIPERDIAS coordinator, Dr. Marwan Abdou-Ahmed commented on the success to date and the plans for the future:
"We are only just beginning to explore the potential of high power USP lasers in materials processing. This success is just an intermediate point on the journey to fully establish the technology for a range of high-value-added applications where the productivity advantaged of high power USP lasers will have a major impact in the industrial setting."