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CNC Laser Drilling
Better, Faster, And More Accurate
Computer numerical control (CNC) laser drilling is one of the most expedient laser processes available on today’s market. By using high-quality lasers, CNC laser drilling outshines standard machinery as it offers incredibly accurate and precise penetrations that manual drilling cannot. Because laser drilling is computer automated, it leaves your material untouched; this means that there is very minimal distortion of the material. The technology used has many other benefits such as exact replications, easily adaptable plans, increased production rates – with single pulse drilling up to 200 holes per second – the capability to create holes of small diameter with high aspect ratios, as well as precise beam manipulation to drill shallow angles and shaped holes. The laser also regulates the beam intensity, duration, and heat output, leading to very little distortion in drilling and ingenuity to work with diverse materials such as stainless steel, copper, wood, gemstones, brass, nickel, and iron.
The first laser of this magnitude was created in 1960; at the time, the idea of the laser was overwhelming as its purpose had not yet been identified. Engineers were excited by the power of this invention, and by 1964, Bell Labs harnessed the power to create the first laser cutters. This technology developed at a rapid rate, and by the 1970s, the aerospace industry adopted laser cutting and drilling techniques. By the 1980s, laser drilling had become an estimated $7.5 billion industry. Since then, CNC laser drilling has only improved, making it faster, more accessible, and more accurate than ever.
Today, CNC lasers can cut up to ¾ inches x 80inches x 160inches with an accuracy of +/- 0.005inches and holes less than 0.25mm in diameter (as small as 0.0005 inches in diameter). This is an act that a conventional drill cannot accomplish. Because of this incredibly consistent precision and quality, CNC laser drilling is trusted by high-level technicians in the industries of aerospace, often for the drilling of cooling holes in the turbine engines of aircraft; electronics, because, as technology advances, each part is decreasing in size, and therefore must increase in precision; medicine, to accurately create needle holes in devices; automotive, to manufacture consistent and accurate holes for various parts, such as injection nozzles that carry fuel to the engine; and semiconductors, for a plethora of applications in the $335.2 billion industry.
The use of CNC laser drilling in such critical industries shows its exceptional quality, but this calibre of work is not exclusive to billion-dollar industries. The precision and accuracy of laser drilling have an economic return on investment in many applications as your product will last longer, will be created to your exact specifications, and will be completed much faster than any manual drilling could possibly produce.
To get a quote for the most reliable drilling technology has to offer, contact us today!