Product Code: ICAL09_P160

Drilling of Aluminum with a High Power Q-switched 532nm Laser
Authors:
Leonard Migliore, Coherent, Inc.; Santa Clara CA USA
George Nazary, Coherent, Inc; Santa Clara CA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2009

Recent advances in the design of gain modules for diode-pumped solid-state lasers have allowed the manufacture of extremely compact high power products. Their high Q-switched pulse energy combined with good mode quality enable highly efficient harmonic conversion, resulting in a product producing several hundred watts of average power at a wavelength of 532nm. Among the applications for which this product is suited is the rapid drilling of high-quality holes in aluminum sheet. This paper examines the parameter range for efficient drilling and suggests areas where the process might be used.