Photonics and laser-engraving to the rescue of hydrodynamics
Etching tiny ‘spike’ structures onto sheet metal or plastic, the new laser system can create a rough surface at a microscopic level, mimicking shark’s flesh which is covered in millions of microscopic denticles that reduce drag to make it a highly efficient swimmer. Similarly, engraved metal or plastic surfaces can have ‘anti-fouling’ properties that prevent contaminants or microorganisms from clinging on.
Funded by the Photonics Public Private Partnership (Photonics PPP), the scientists anticipate that such specially-designed structures could be engraved on steel ship hulls to help reduce fuel consumption and replace toxic ship paints and varnishes that are harmful to the environment. “Besides maritime components, application fields can be found in aircraft and turbomachinery. Here, surface structures might inhibit cavitation and thus improve lifetimes of propellers of propulsion systems or water turbines”, commented Dr Johannes Finger, coordinator of the MultiFlex project. “Our photonics system can also create design textures or ‘microcavities’. Here the environment benefits by replacing environmental problematic technologies like chemical etching,” said Dr Finger.
Ultrashort Pulsed (USP) or ‘Ultrafast’ lasers can ablate any material without damaging it. Surfaces cut with a USP are smooth, on a micron-scale and ideal for many industries where hard materials need to be processed with the highest precision.
Resembling a giant chessboard, the world’s first ‘dot matrix’ laser system developed during the MultiFlex project splits a single beam into a grid of 64 ‘beamlets’, where every single ray can be turned on, off, positioned, and individually ‘tuned’.
This makes the system capable of ablating more than 150 mm³ in one minute, making it hundreds of times faster than existing ultrafast lasers that rely on a single beam. The new photonic system could find applications in tool and mould manufacturing, but also to fabricate venting holes or microcavities, or to make textures on free-form surfaces more cost-efficient.
In the automotive sector, the high throughput USP surface processing technology could tackle micro-structuring applications for interior lighting, instrument clusters and aesthetic and haptic structures. Electronics components and packaging could also benefit from the ultrafast laser-based fabrication of via holes and technical ceramics.
The consortium consists of the research institute Fraunhofer ILT and the Chair for Technology of Optical Systems of RWTH Aachen University from Germany as well as Amplitude Systèmes, LASEA France, AA OptoElectronic from France and LASEA from Belgium as industrial research and development partners.
The three-year MultiFlex project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the ICT-04-2018 program and has received a grant of € 4.7 million via the Photonics PPP.
Multiflex – https://multiflex-project.eu
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