ultraSURFACE · Ultra Dynamic Optical Systems for High Throughput Laser Surface Processing

In nearly every sector of industrial manufacturing surface processing techniques are used, e.g. for structuring or polishing of aesthetical or functional surfaces. In many applications laser based surface processing techniques already achieve highest precision and quality. But often the throughput is limited.State of the art for many applications in laser surface processing is the utilization of one round laser beam. The idea of ultraSURFACE is to increase the throughput for laser surface processing by at least a factor of 10 without any drawbacks in the quality of the processing results. Therefore, two different optics concepts will be realised and combined with a fast and synchronized machine, scanner and optics control.Optics Concept 1 refers to a dynamic and flexible beam-shaping approach with piezo-deformable mirrors which enables the realisation and the fast adaption of application specific intensity distributions. This will allow significant increase in feed speed and track offset and therefore of throughput.Optics Concept 2 is a beam splitting approach which allows simultaneous processing with multiple laser beams and thus a significant increase of throughput.For both concepts the implementation of prototypes is planned as well as their industrial validation in different fields of application (laser structuring, laser polishing, laser thin-film processing). The main ultraSURFACE Objectives areuSO1 Dynamic and flexible beam-shaping optics for laser surface processinguSO2 Multi-beam optics for parallel laser surface processinguSO3 Ultrafast synchronisation of optics and machine for 3D processinguSO4 Validation in industrial scenarios