Effect of Laser Power and Diamond Tool Parameters for Micro Laser-Assisted Ductile Mode Material Removal on Fused Silica

Abstract

Fused silica is an essential material used in various applications due to its excellent optical and mechanical properties. However, processing it can be challenging due to its high hardness and brittleness, leading to subsurface damage during grinding and polishing operations. Microlaser-assisted ductile mode material removal is a promising technique for achieving high levels of precision and accuracy in material removal. This technique leads to controlled and precise removal of material without inducing cracks or fractures. Despite its advantages, there are several challenges associated with the process, such as selecting the appropriate laser power and diamond tool geometry. In this study, we employed a Universal Mechanical Tester equipped with modified OPTIMUS, a laser-assisted machining technology to investigate the impact of laser and diamond tool geometry on scratch cut quality. Introducing and increasing the laser power demonstrated an improvement of around 251.7% in cut ductility, leading to a decrease in the severity of sub-surface damage. Altering the rake angle from −25 deg to −45 deg resulted in a 45.3% reduction in the critical depth of cuts (DOCs). However, when laser was employed, the critical DOCs increased around 34.4% in ductile mode material removal on fused silica samples, which underscores the criticality of the laser in this process.