Markets & Applications
The markets and applications for the Laser Micromachining Division and Laser System Division are diverse in nature. In some cases, the divisions share the same market and in other cases, the market is distinct for one specific division due to economics or geographical location of the industry.
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Wire Stripping
Laser stripping of plastic insulation from a wire conductor or a metal braid is a classic laser micromachining application. Laser stripping is a selective process. The laser energy density to ablate or remove a polymer insulator is an order magnitude lower than a metal conductor. This means that once the laser beam ablates through the polymer insulator and reaches the underlying metal conductor or braid, the laser beam can continually "hit" the metal layer without any risk of damage. The laser can be tuned to "selectively" remove top layer material without affecting the underlying material.
The laser stripping process removes the polymer insulation layer-by-layer. Each time the laser pulses, a layer as thin as 0.1 micron can be removed.
Laser stripping can be performed as an "end strip" or "mid-span" strip. There is typically a 5 degree taper angle at the transition zone from the insulator to the stripped region.
Typical polymer insulation thickness varies from 0.0002" to 0.040" with the metal conductor or braid thicker than the insulation layer.
Laser Stripping is performed on Laser Stripping Systems which are generally configured with long length optical modules (up to 300mm in length) so that the entire strip length can be machined at one time. The beam is formed as a long thin line where the beam length is the strip length and the beam width is the outer diameter of the wire or mesh assembly. The laser beam is homogenized (guaranteed energy distribution along the entire length of the strip region) to ensure all the organic material is removed, especially at the transition zone between stripped and non-stripped area. Often this transition zone is conical in shape with limited taper. This method offers superior process reliability and consistency than moving a small beam back and forth along the wire length where beam overlap affects the process quality.
The wire can be put on a balloon drilling system where the wire is secured by collets and rotated through the beam. The laser beam can be split by an optical setup so that two (2) beams ablate the wire at 180 degrees orientation. Or the laser beam can be split into three (3) beams so that the angular separation between beams is 120 degrees.
Laser stripping is used in many medical device applications where either an electrical contact is required or the outer jacket needs to be partially removed to provide device flexibility. For high volume applications, the wires are stripped in an automated part handler such as reel-to-reel or reel-to-part. The Laser Stripping system can both strip and cut the wire to length, with in-situ metrology to measure the strip region and wire length.
Applications include Cardiac Rhythm Management leads (pacemakers, ICD, heart failure), electrophysiology ablation devices, embolic protection and guide catheters, among others.
25 micron dia. 3D Cones etched in Polycarbonate
10 micron wide groves
in titanium
Laser stripping of wire
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10 um hole array exit
10 um exit 50 um pitch
in 25 um Ti1
5 um hole array in 50 um Ta
10 um exit 50 um pitch
in 25 um Ti
25 um exit in 50 um Ta
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