Laser processing of polycrystalline diamond, tungsten carbide, and a related composite material

There are numerous industrial uses of superhard materials such as polycrystalline diamond, natural diamond, and tungsten carbide. These include tooling for mechanical processing as well as robust substrates for microelectronics in extreme environment applications. Processing these materials has presented a perennial problem for engineers. In this article cutting and milling of these materials is investigated using high average power nanosecond pulsed diode pumped solid-state lasers. The results are investigated with regard to developing models for nanosecond pulse laser milling. It is found that it is possible to process these materials at superior rates to conventional technologies, achieving comparable quality without the issues of tool wear and lubrication to contend with. It is also determined that this technology can both cut and mill these materials in concurrent processing-offering new flexibility for manufacturing design. (c) 2006 Laser Institute of America.