Process Window Expansion of Laser Chemical Machining by Using High Pressure

Abstract

Laser Chemical Machining (LCM) is a non-conventional removal process, based on a precise thermal activation of heterogeneous chemical reactions between an electrolyte and a metallic surface. Due to local overheating during the process, boiling bubbles occur, which can impair the removal quality. In order to reduce the amount of bubbles, the laser chemical process is performed at different process pressures. Removal experiments were performed on Titanium Grade 1 using the electrolyte phosphoric acid at various process pressures, machining speeds and laser powers in order to determine the limit of the process window by evaluating the characteristics of the removal cavities. As a result, the process window for non-disturbed laser chemical machining is widened at higher process pressures. The process pressures have no influence on the geometric shape of the removal. The expansion of the process window is attributed to the fact that at higher process pressures the saturation temperature of the electrolyte rises, so that bubble boiling starts at a higher surface temperature on the workpiece induced by the laser power. The removal rate could be increased by a factor of 2.48 by increasing the process pressures from ambient pressure to 6 bar, thus taking an important step towards the economic efficiency of the laser chemical machining.