Cutting glass can be a dangerous and challenging process—yet this no longer has to be the case, thanks to specially shaped ultrashort laser pulses developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT. In fact, it was the need to quickly and easily separate circular shapes from tempered glass—particularly in smartphone displays—that inspired scientists at Fraunhofer ILT to explore this innovative approach. By using an ultrashort pulse (USP) laser, glass can be precisely modified and fractured along any desired contour, all without generating dust or leaving behind residue.
Unlike traditional glass-cutting methods, lasers do not scratch the glass surface; instead, they induce minimal material stress within the bulk of the material itself. This controlled stress leads to clean edges when the material is separated. Achieving this requires a unique intensity distribution within the laser beam—a feature characterized by a long focal spot and steeply inclined intensity gradients.
Modern Diffractive Optical Elements (DOEs) are capable of shaping light into nearly any desired form. Thanks to their intricate diffraction patterns, DOEs allow for precise manipulation of laser beams, enabling the creation of specialized beam profiles or complex optical patterns directly from a single laser source. Moreover, DOEs can split the energy of a single laser beam into multiple, evenly distributed sub-beams—each maintaining a similar shape. This versatility makes DOEs particularly well-suited for applications requiring highly customized beam shaping.
The development of these optical components begins on a computer, where scientists meticulously calculate tiny phase patterns designed to produce the exact light distribution needed. They then use programmable spatial light modulators to test these calculated structures, adjusting the phase patterns pixel by pixel before analyzing the resulting beam under a microscope. After several iterative refinements, the optimal DOE design is transferred onto glass using photolithography. Notably, DOEs can also serve as all-glass optical elements in USP lasers delivering power levels exceeding 100 watts.
In addition to diffractive DOEs, Refractive Optical Elements (ROEs) are frequently employed in beam-shaping applications due to their ability to manipulate light over a wide range of power levels—up to hundreds of watts. Both DOEs and ROEs exhibit exceptional thermal stability, making them ideal for enhancing the productivity of USP laser systems.
Scientists at Fraunhofer ILT, along with colleagues from RWTH Aachen University’s Chair of Laser Technology LLT and industry partners, are currently investigating the full potential of shaping USP laser beams. Companies like TRUMPF and 4JET Technologies are actively involved in this research and development effort, which is being carried out within the framework of the Digital Photonics Production (DPP) Research Campus, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
These collaborators are specifically focusing on glass processing for head-up displays used in the automotive industry. Experts from the "Femto DPP" project have successfully introduced microscopic defects into glass substrates, enabling the material to reflect LED light at precise angles—exactly what’s required for high-quality head-up displays. Additionally, the lasers employed in this process can create predefined fracture points, which are carefully controlled to facilitate rapid and efficient glass cutting. This technology holds immense promise for future applications, potentially extending even to curved glass surfaces.
Beyond its immediate industrial applications, Femtoprint 3D printing technology carries transformative potential across various sectors. In optics and electronics, Femtoprint—and other nanoscale printing techniques—can be leveraged to fabricate intricate two- and three-dimensional structures at the nanometer level. These advanced forms open up new possibilities for microfluidic devices, miniature glass components, and even 3D printing at the nanoscale. By pushing the boundaries of laser-based fabrication at such minute scales, Fraunhofer is paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in 3D printing—enabling the creation of objects measuring just one-billionth of a meter in size.
2021-08-06
As the world’s first research institute to install a 13kW "Dynamic Beam Laser" (manufactured by Israel’s Civan Laser Company), IWS leverages this cutting-edge equipment to combine multiple individual laser beams into a single, high-energy beam, enabling the rapid creation of diverse energy distribution patterns. This process allows for continuous optimization, ultimately leading to the production of higher-quality components.
Thanks to the precise phase shifts applied to each individual beam, the system can generate an array of unique patterns—such as horseshoe, figure-eight, or ring-shaped designs—while simultaneously delivering varying levels of energy intensity across the entire shape.
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The image above illustrates the dynamic beam shaping process.
While this technology is also viable for use with mirrors and other optical components, oscillating mirrors typically require significant time to adjust their energy patterns. In contrast, Civan’s laser can accomplish this adjustment in just a few microseconds—over a thousand times faster than conventional oscillating mirror systems!
**Applications and Future Prospects:**
As part of the European ShapeAM project, IWS Research Institute is collaborating with Civan Laser Company and A. Kotliar Laser Welding Solutions to explore how this innovative technology can be integrated into 3D printing processes. Potential applications include manufacturing titanium and aluminum products for aerospace use, creating advanced medical implants, and developing lightweight components tailored for mobility solutions.
Dr. Andreas Wetzig, head of IWS’s Cutting and Joining Projects, comments: “This laser technology is poised to push material processing to unprecedented limits, opening up exciting opportunities in both the medical and aerospace sectors.” Meanwhile, Dr. Elena Lopez, head of Additive Manufacturing at IWS, adds: “We’re excited to experiment with new beam shapes and control frequencies, addressing key challenges posed by crack-sensitive materials.”
The team will now embark on extensive testing across a wide range of materials and beam profiles, aiming to unlock new possibilities for 3D printing, cutting, and joining even the most challenging materials—including composites. They are confident that this approach will deliver faster, more precise control over the molten pool, enabling the production of burr-free parts and cuts at speeds up to twice as fast as traditional fiber lasers.
Figure 1: A method to extend the use of 3D printers into 3D electronics, enabling future robotics and IoT applications by simultaneously printing both metal and plastic components.
Over the past decade, 3D printing technology has advanced significantly, now allowing for large-scale production in industrial settings. Often referred to as "additive manufacturing," 3D printing empowers users to create complex 3D objects directly from raw materials. In the most popular 3D printing process—fused deposition modeling—plastics or metals are melted and extruded through a small nozzle by the printer head, where they immediately solidify and fuse with the rest of the part. However, due to the significant difference in melting points between plastics and metals, this technology has so far been limited to producing either purely metallic or purely plastic objects.
In a recently published study in the journal *Additive Manufacturing*, scientists from Waseda University in Japan have developed a novel hybrid composite technique capable of producing 3D objects made from both metal and plastic. Professor Shinjiro Umezu, who led the research, explained their motivation: "While 3D printers already enable us to create 3D structures using both metals and plastics, most everyday objects around us—including electronic devices—are actually composed of these two materials combined. Therefore, we believe that if we can leverage conventional 3D printers to fabricate 3D objects incorporating both metal and plastic, we’ll significantly broaden the scope of their applications."
Their approach represents a major improvement over traditional metallization processes used for coating 3D-printed plastic structures with metal. In conventional methods, plastic objects are first 3D printed, then immersed in a solution containing palladium (Pd), which adheres to the surface. The workpiece is subsequently placed in a chemical plating bath, where dissolved metal ions deposit onto the surface, facilitated by the previously applied Pd layer acting as a catalyst. While technically sound, this traditional method often results in uneven metal coatings and poor adhesion to the plastic structure.
Figure 2:
A: Conventional method for metallizing 3D-printed plastic structures. This process requires wet pre-treatment to activate the workpiece surface. Pd colloids are deposited on the surface, after which the Pd-catalyzed part is immersed in a chemical deposition bath to coat it with the desired metal. The Pd catalyst induces electroless deposition. However, since the plastics commonly used in 3D printers (such as ABS in this study) are predominantly hydrophobic, the deposited metal lacks strong adhesion to the surface, leading to an uneven coating.
B: The method proposed in this paper for selectively depositing metal onto specific areas of 3D-printed plastic structures. In addition to pure ABS filament, a special ABS filament containing PdCl₂ is used. During 3D printing, the base structure of the object is created using pure ABS filament, while the selected areas of interest (highlighted in yellow in the figure) are coated with the PdCl₂-containing ABS filament. Because the workpiece is already catalytically activated in these targeted regions, it can be directly immersed in the chemical plating bath—effectively skipping the initial catalytic step seen in Figure A.
Figure 3: 3D-printed ABS structures obtained using different catalytic methods.
(A) Conventional method shown in Figure 1A: Immersion in a Pd ion solution. Double-headed arrows indicate the immersion depth.
(B) Region-selective catalysis: An ABS-PdCl₂ mixture is sprayed onto the surface under air pressure using a nozzle.
(C) Region-selective catalysis: A PdCl₂-containing ABS filament is fed through an FFF 3D printer to coat specific areas with PdCl₂-infused ABS. The left image shows the 3D-printed and catalyzed structure, while the right image depicts the chemically plated version.
This overview contrasts the traditional method of metallizing 3D-printed plastic structures with the dual-nozzle approach introduced in this study. Unlike conventional techniques, the new dual-nozzle method enables the creation of 3D objects with uniform, firmly adhered metal coatings—limited exclusively to the desired areas.
In contrast, the innovative hybrid method employs a printer equipped with two nozzles: one extrudes standard molten plastic (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or ABS), while the other dispenses ABS mixed with palladium dichloride (PdCl₂). By selectively printing layers using either nozzle, specific areas of the 3D object become enriched with Pd. These regions are then subjected to chemical plating, resulting in plastic structures featuring metal coatings precisely confined to the targeted areas.
The researchers found that this approach yields metal coatings with dramatically improved adhesion. More importantly, because the material itself contains Pd, their method eliminates the need for any roughening or etching steps typically required in traditional processes to enhance catalyst deposition on ABS structures. This is particularly advantageous, as such additional procedures not only risk damaging the 3D object itself but also pose environmental hazards due to the use of toxic chemicals like chromic acid. Finally, their method remains fully compatible with existing fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers.
Umezu believes that, given the potential applications of metal-plastic hybrid 3D printing in 3D electronics, this technology could become increasingly vital in the near future—especially as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence continue to drive innovation. He adds: "Our hybrid 3D printing method opens up exciting possibilities for manufacturing advanced 3D electronic devices, paving the way for breakthroughs in healthcare, caregiving technologies, and even robotics, ultimately delivering solutions far superior to what we have today."This research is poised to pave the way for advanced 3D printing technologies, enabling us to fully leverage the advantages of both metals and plastics.
The research teams led by Yu Xin and Juan Du from the State Key Laboratory of Strong-Field Laser Physics at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have collaborated with Professor Jiang Tang from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Professor Han Zhang's team from Shenzhen University. Driven by the miniaturization of laser technology, their work focuses on exploring novel gain-media-based luminescence principles and mechanisms.
2021-04-29
Aluminum alloys boast advantages such as low density, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance, making them widely used in industries like automotive, new energy, aerospace, and construction. Currently, laser welding has become a dominant process in the production of aluminum alloy products. Compared to conventional welding methods, laser welding delivers higher productivity, superior weld quality, enables precise welding of complex structures, and supports seamless integration with automation systems.
Since the 1930s, when humanity officially discovered antimatter, we’ve embarked on an 86-year-long journey of exploration in this field—moving from complete ignorance to a clear understanding of its principles, and now even advancing to the point where we’ve developed technologies capable of extracting antimatter. Our research has specifically focused on particles such as antiprotons and positrons.
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