Ultrasound assisted laser machining and surface cleaning

This paper investigates a new approach of using ultrasound to assist material ablation efficiency in laser machining processes. Typical laser machining methods suffer a common problem that the laser-ablated material particles will fall back to the sample surface and therefore either deter subsequent laser machining process or result in material debris on sample surface. In this work we introduce high frequency mechanical vibration, or ultrasound, to the sample under laser machining. The oscillation of sample surface can eject laser-ablated particles and therefore achieve both purposes of surface cleaning and machining speed increasing. Preliminary experimental results have support the feasibility of the propose method which can effectively improve machining quality in most laser machining for a wide variety of materials.