Femtosecond laser technology using on precision mold making / micro injection molding

Femtosecond laser technology represents a new frontier in precision mold making with micro injection molding. The aim of this laser is not to replace traditional machining methods but to complement them in a way that ultimately leads to increased productivity for mold shops and other part manufacturers alike.

Femtosecond lasers are, as their name implies, lasers with pulses in the range of a femtosecond, or one quadrillionth of a second. This pulse length puts these lasers in the category of ultrashort pulses. A prominent advantage of this extremely short pulse length is the reduction of heat absorption, a quality that has made femtosecond lasers useful for medical applications, particularly ophthalmological procedures, such as LASIK.

Naturally, the avoidance of heat transference and a high degree of precision make femtosecond lasers excellent tools for intricate mold and part production. Nanosecond lasers are widely known to produce recast and burrs during ablation and can produce sufficient heat to harden materials and damage coatings. Femtosecond lasers avoid these issues, making femtosecond lasers suitable for heat-sensitive parts. The ultrashort pulse of the laser prevents workpiece materials from entering a fusion state during ablation, thus eliminating recast or burr formation, imparting an exceptionally fine finish and avoiding residual heat-affected zones.

Unlike sinker EDMing or conventional micromachining, laser micromachining has relatively few requirements. One is simple line of sight, a far less restrictive requirement than with other machining operations. As a noncontact tool, the laser allows Providence Texture to create small mold features at working distances unobtainable with sinker EDMing and reach places otherwise impossible even with the smallest-of-diameter spindles.