Thermal ablation regulation for ultraviolet (UV) nanosecond laser precision cutting of polycarbonate (PC) film

With the refinement of polycarbonate (PC) film application, higher demands are placed on shape, dimensional accuracy, and cross-sectional quality of PC film. Ultraviolet (UV) nanosecond laser is one of the feasible methods for patterned precision cutting of PC films, but the cutting mechanism and the influence of process parameters on cutting quality have not deeply researched. Using UV nanosecond laser with maximum power of 3 W and 0.2 mm thick PC film, on the one hand, laser cutting mechanism was evaluated based on by-product composition analysis, and laser ablation in process path is the principle of UV-nanosecond laser cutting of PC film. On the other hand, influence of laser cutting process on cutting quality was analyzed by orthogonal experiments. When parameter combination was 0.1 W-40 mm/s-15 (laser power -cutting speed -number of cuts), a smaller cutting seam width (40.7 +/- 1.2 mu m) and heat-affected zone width (26.8 +/- 0.8 mu m) were obtained, and there was no obvious seam taper.

Automated summary

The study focused on the UV nanosecond laser cutting of PC films, evaluating the cutting mechanism and analyzing the influence of process parameters on cutting quality through orthogonal experiments. The optimal parameter combination resulted in smaller cutting seam width and heat-affected zone width without obvious seam taper.