Laser machining of structural ceramics-A review

Outstanding mechanical and physical properties like high thermal resistance, high hardness and chemical stability have encouraged use of structural ceramics in several applications. The brittle and hard nature of these ceramics makes them difficult to machine using conventional techniques and damage caused to the surface while machining affects efficiency of components. Laser machining has recently emerged as a potential technique for attaining high material removal rates. This review paper aims at presenting the state of the art in the field of laser machining of structural ceramics and emphasizes on experimental and computational approaches in understanding physical nature of the complex phenomena. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.