Process limits for percussion drilling of stainless steel with ultrashort laser pulses at high average powers

The availability of commercial ultrafast lasers reaching into the kW power level offers promising potential for high-volume manufacturing applications. Exploiting the available average power is challenging due to process limits imposed by particle shielding, ambient atmosphere breakdown, and heat accumulation effects. We experimentally confirm the validity of a simple thermal model, which can be used for the estimation of a critical heat accumulation threshold for percussion drilling of AISI 304 steel. The limits are summarized in a processing map, which provides selection criteria for process parameters and suitable lasers. The results emphasize the need for process parallelization.

Automated summary

Commercial ultrafast lasers with kW power levels show potential for high-volume manufacturing, but limitations such as particle shielding, atmosphere breakdown, and heat accumulation need to be addressed. Experimental validation of a thermal model for AISI 304 steel drilling highlights the importance of a critical heat accumulation threshold. A processing map summarizes these limits and provides guidance for parameter selection and laser suitability, stressing the importance of process parallelization.