Laser drilling system produces linear, cylindrical patterns in 2-D, 3-D parts

Prima Power Laserdyne has introduced SmartPerf™ for programming and laser drilling of simple to complex patterns of holes in linear and cylindrical paths in 2-D and 3-D parts.

The system’s reduced cycle time allows for on-the-fly laser drilling. There is no need for acceleration and deceleration at each hole location. On-the-fly drilling is suitable for percussion drilling small-diameter (0.008- to 0.02-in.) holes in turbine engine combustors. Thousands of holes can be produced quickly over a 3-D surface in a single setup, reports the manufacturer.

The system also is used for producing patterns of holes involving both trepanning (cutting) and standard percussion drilling (move to a location and create the hole by delivering a sequence of pulses).

Complex patterns involving nonuniform hole spacing and varying hole size can be produced. Common applications involve drilling a pattern around a pre-existing machined feature and creating custom spray patterns based on an array of holes with nonuniform spacing, size, and shape.