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SpEc ial fEat urE | LA S ER P ROCE SS I N G

Today, different laser technologies comprising gas, solid and fibre are used for laser processing techniques, which include cutting, welding, drilling, marking and engraving. However, in the supply side, technology-based segmentation divides the market according to various laser technologies such as gas lasers, solid state lasers, fibre lasers and semiconductor lasers. The applications include cutting, drilling, marking and engraving, micro-processing, and advanced processing, whereas the demand side of the laser processing market comprises automotive, aerospace & defence, medical and machine tool industries.

According to a new market research report of Laser Processing Market by Application (cutting, drilling, marking), Laser type (gas, solid, fibre laser), Machine Configuration (moving, fixed beam), Vertical (machine tooling, automotive), Geography, the value of laser processing market is set to grow

Exploring laser dimensionsCurrently, the laser processing market is expected to witness high demand owing to wide applications of laser technology. The feature details on the factors contributing on adopting laser technology in the manufacturing space, while analysing the market drivers, which gives this technology an edge over conventional techniques

at a CAGR of 6.18%, from $11.24 billion in 2013 to $17.36 billion in 2020. As such, Europe is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.92%, whereas APAC at 6.1%, between 2014 and 2020. The feature briefs on the use of laser technology in the manufacturing landscape by industry experts Thomas Greg, Sales & Marketing, SPI Lasers UK; Maulik Patel, Executive Director, Sahajanand Laser and Soumitra Joshi, MD, Trumpf India.

Adopting laser technology in manufacturing

As per Joshi, laser has consistently reinvented itself since inception. So, the flexibility of lasers has led to the adoption of robotic laser processing and 5-axis laser cutting-welding in many areas. “This includes cutting of high-strength steel in today’s automobiles, medical devices, hard glass and steel parts

Megha Roy Features Writer megha.roy@publish-industry.net

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of mobile phones and marking of wafers in semiconductor industry, etc.”

Laser processing provides clean & damage-free operation as it is a non-contact process. This is one of the most important factors contributing to the growing adoption of laser technology in manufacturing processes across the world. In this context, Patel asserts that the use of laser technology ensures accuracy.

“Flexibility of laser system acts as an important factor to reach the complex geometries, even with best quality and at high speed. When it comes to micromachining, lasers are preferred to be the apt solution due to its immense accuracy and finish achieved through micron level machining. Laser cutting operation does not deliver immense pressure or leave any impressions close to the operational area of the material,” he said.

As per a recent report by grandviewresearch, rapid adoption of lasers for material processing has changed the market scenario in the past few decades. So, the ability to offer accurate & high speed industrial processes as compared to conventional techniques is responsible for large-scale adoption of laser technology in the manufacturing processes. The ever-increasing use of lasers is also due to the quality of processing they can achieve, which is constantly repeatable, thereby, having a massive impact upon quality along with 24x7 operation. Commenting on this, Greg opined that any part manufactured with a laser never needs additional processing to be used in the next assembly. “The new designs in lasers with new materials are being used to lase and ever shortening wavelengths offer higher productivity with near to no heat effect upon the materials. Every day, a new material is attempted with astonishing results leading to new products. As such, lasers are changing the way humans are treated for illness and protecting them from explosives and other harmful substances being detected,” he averred.

Driving factors for laser processing

The rising demand for efficient material processing techniques in manufacturing industries and miniaturisation of electronic goods are majorly the driving factors for laser processing market. Greg points out that nearly 98% of items in all mobile phones are now produced with laser processing technology. He further said, “The key driver is being open to receiving customer sample material and trying to process it according to the requirement. The invention of new components, materials and applications is driven by inquisitive product engineers and the laser community devising new laser types to meet these challenges.”

Patel believes process requirement to be the key driving factor for advanced laser solutions. “With the emerging nano technology & use of new advanced alloys, the need for specialised machining systems for various types of processing is raised. Meeting the quality & achieving productivity are the significant elements that determine the advancements of lasers,” he suggests. However, increasing environmental concerns pose a challenge to the growth of this market.

Today, lasers are gaining high popularity in automotive applications too. Growing requirements of legislations in many countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of motor vehicles have triggered a global trend of reducing the weight of the vehicles. At the same time, demands on performance and crash safety are also continuing to rise. This has given birth to the use of light-weight materials like hot formed manganese-boron steel in automotive manufacturing. In this regard, Joshi opines that hot formed boron steel used in Chassis and ABC pillars are hard and not possible to be trimmed with conventional mechanical trimming operations. “They should be machined in unhardened microstructure zones. As this is not possible, lasers have proven widely successful as a ‘wear-free’ tool. Our

Laser processing provides clean &

damage-free operation as it is a non-

contact process

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LASER PROCESS ING | SpEc i al fEaturE

Lasers represent manufacturing tools

in the form of engraving, marking,

scribing, hardening, cladding,

cutting, drilling, and welding

lasers offer advantages like lower investment cost on a single tool like laser instead of huge multiple machines and expensive tools & dies. It also offers higher flexibility when starting production in low-volume runs, shorter setup times for part changes, optimised storage costs and batch sizes,” he said.

Market drivers

The major market growth drivers in this sector are demand in oil & gas, automotive, semiconductor & electronics sector; need of advanced processing tools for micro-processing applications along with research & development activities in the field of new laser technologies. Major processes employing laser technology include material processing, marking & engraving and micro-processing. Laser technology assists in cutting metals or non-metals, as well as for welding purposes. It proves highly beneficial for mining & drilling activities, particularly in crude oil extraction. The large number of advantages offered in comparison to conventional techniques, including waterjet cutting, is expected to fuel market growth in material processing. High degree of accuracy for engraving small details which would otherwise be a complex task is also expected to boost demand over the next six years.

Precision micromachining

Laser-cutting machines represent manufacturing tools that are critical to the production of a range of manufactured parts to form metal components. According to Patel, lasers have replaced many conventional methods of metal forming. With the use of various alloys and hardened metals in cutting tools, automobile, defence, aerospace and general engineering, the process requirements have become complicated manifold.

“Since laser never touches the work piece, so there is never any lubricant or tool wastage or re-sharpening needed. Gases

are not often released, nor are water or other contaminants needed to be cleaned up after processing. With the adoption of robotic technologies, lasers can perform the same task 365 days a year with the same quality every day. Parts which can share a common edge now produce no waste between parts,” says Greg.

Lasers represent manufacturing tools in the form of engraving, marking, scribing, hardening, cladding, cutting, drilling, and welding. Laser micromachining in nano-technology are used to fabricate micro structures, groves and channels. Highlighting this, Patel focuses, “In biotechnology, they are used as tool to process micro fluids, micro filters, drug delivery systems, needles, stents, etc. Apart from that, micro machined components are used in micromechanical systems & microelectronics, particularly on semiconductor devices and integrated circuit technologies.”

Applications

On the basis of application, the market is bifurcated into automotive, aerospace, OEMs, electronics & microelectronics, medical treatment devices and packaging. The medical & microelectronics industry is expected to drive laser processing growth. Laser eye surgery demand is expected to continue gaining prominence within the forecast period. In addition, growth in the automotive sector, surging electronics demand, and emerging applications in oil & gas has led to laser processing market growth. According to Patel, with the use of various alloys & hardened metals in cutting tools, automobile, defence, aerospace and general engineering, the process requirements have become complicated manifold.

The Asia Pacific laser processing market is expected to witness high growth in various regions including Japan, South Korea, India and China. This growth is attributed to several factors including manufacturing cost-reduction and growing

70 EM | J u n 2015

SpEc ial fEat urE | LA S ER P ROCE SS I N G

number of OEMs and automotive industries. Stringent laser marking regulations by the FDA is expected to generate marking systems demand in the US.

Elaborating on the applications of lasers, Joshi believes that lasers can be used to drill holes in a variety of materials, ranging from wood and plastics to metals and ceramics. “Some examples of laser drilled holes with our TruMicro lasers are tiny holes in fuel pumps of Bosch and Delphi injection system, gorilla hard glass cutting in Apple and Samsung mobile phones, cooling holes in aero-engine components, micro holes in PCBs, etc.”

Advantages over conventional techniques

Resolution of laser machining is much evident to prove its capability against any conventional micromachining techniques. Lasers used in micromachining gems and electronics deliver resolution close to 1 micron, which is difficult most of the time in conventional methodology (using diamond). Less & controlled heat affected zone, clean & accurate processing, reduced angular distortion, minimal post > MORE@CLICK EM01356 | www.efficientmanufacturing.in

processing and quick operation are the fundamental blocks that makes lasers much preferred over conventional micromachining techniques.

Greg believes that lasers will increasingly replace conventional tools where mass metal does not need to be removed. “They are even incorporated into swiss style CNC 7-axis machines to nearly double the output of these very complex machines. With no lubricant to filter, no tools to wear or re-sharpen, no down time and precision quality every time, lasers will increasingly replace conventional tools, where mass metal does not need to be removed,” he said.

Some advantages of lasers drilling over other mechanical processes include contact-free process that prevents contamination of the work piece & wearing of drilling tools, Speeds upto 1 ms per hole can be achieved through drilling. Universal tool for drilling of materials like rubber, wood, diamond and ceramics can be done. Lastly, low heat affected zone in laser drilling suits best for medical equipment manufacturing and semiconductor applications. ☐