Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe's largest application-oriented research organization, has recently developed a new hybrid 3D printing method and is currently developing a series of ultrashort pulse (USP) green laser pointers for 3D printing processes such as SLA.
The project is part of the Fraunhofer Excellence Cluster, which includes engineers and materials scientists and the IRB of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology and the IFOR of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering. The cluster eventually became the team that achieved the leading position in the international technology of laser systems. Professor Reinhart Poprawe, Director of the Fraunhofer Group of Excellence, said:
“We are working together to develop disruptive technologies that will help expand the range of applications for laser technology – from the expansion of ultra-precision manufacturing processes to the development of new pulse durations and wavelength ranges for research.”
The partners of the Fraunhofer Excellence Group participated in the kick-off meeting held in Aachen on May 2, 2018. Coordinator: Professor Reinhart Poprawe, Director of Clusters, Fraunhofer ILT (front row, second from right) and Professor Andreas Tünnermann, Fraunhofer IOF (front row, second from left).
For the best performance of the green laser pointer, Fraunhofer Excellence Group has been looking for the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago with the aim of using its Advanced Photon Source (APS) - a high-energy, high-energy synchrotron light source. Brightness X-ray beam.
It is well known that USP lasers produce high power and highly focused beams with short wavelengths in the range of 1 nanosecond (ns) or less. Although USP lasers are commonly used for micromachining, the processing capabilities of almost all materials are combined with the high strength of APS, which lays the foundation for the development of next-generation industrial lasers.
The current performance of a 100 watt USP laser was tested at the Fraunhofer ILT user facility, which failed to completely cut superhard ceramic materials and fiber reinforced plastics. Through this application-based survey, Fraunhofer Excellence Cluster partners are working to increase the average power of USP sources to 10 kW by 2022 - an order of magnitude over conventional lasers. They are also committed to the required system technology and other applications, such as medical technology, the green laser pointer for ophthalmic surgery.
By developing ultra-precision green laser pointers for industrial manufacturing, new opportunities will emerge for biological sample imaging or semiconductor fields as well as lithography.