A method for stripping ceramic from a component includes applying a liquid to a ceramic coating of an outer surface of the component. The method also includes directing a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid in order to spall the ceramic coating from the component.

An apparatus for laser processing of very wide non-woven fabric materials at high speeds. This invention enables a laser beam to sever, perforate and pattern a large piece of fabric materials planarly disposed at regular or irregular spatial intervals over the entire width while the fabric passes from one roller to another roller at high speeds by precisely managing focus and intensity of the beam at the focal point on the web. A control system managing the laser processing system enables rapid reconfiguration of perforation patterns. The fabric can be woven or nonwoven, homogeneous or nonhomogeneous material with uniform or nonuniform thickness. An optical sensor is provided to sense the laser processing as it is performed and provide feedback to a system controller to optimize laser processing performance in real time.

A method and an apparatus of a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system that enables a quick change in the optical beam delivery size and intensity across locations of a print surface for different powdered materials while ensuring high availability of the system. A dynamic optical assembly containing a set of lens assemblies of different magnification ratios and a mechanical assembly may change the magnification ratios as needed. The dynamic optical assembly may include a transitional and rotational position control of the optics to minimize variations of the optical beam sizes across the print surface.

A laser processing apparatus has a laser beam applying unit for applying a laser beam to a workpiece held on a chuck table. The laser beam applying unit includes an elliptical spot forming member for changing the spot shape of a pulsed laser beam into an elliptical shape and making the major axis of the elliptical beam spot parallel to a feeding direction, a diffractive optical element for branching the pulsed laser beam having the elliptical beam spot obtained by the elliptical spot forming member, into a plurality of pulsed laser beams each having an elliptical beam spot whose major axis extends in the feeding direction, and a condensing lens for condensing each of the pulsed laser beams branched by the diffractive optical element to the workpiece in such a manner that the major axes of the elliptical beam spots of the pulsed laser beams branched are partially overlapped.

A first organic resin layer is formed over a first substrate; a first insulating film is formed over the first organic resin layer; a first element layer is formed over the first insulating film; a second organic resin layer is formed over a second substrate; a second insulating film is formed over the second organic resin layer; a second element layer is formed over the second insulating film; the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded; a first separation step in which adhesion between the first organic resin layer and the first substrate is reduced; the first organic resin layer and a first flexible substrate are bonded with a first bonding layer; a second separation step in which adhesion between the second organic resin layer and the second substrate is reduced; and the second organic resin layer and a second flexible substrate are bonded with a second bonding layer.

Systems for and methods for improving mechanical properties of ceramic material are provided. The system comprises a heat source for heating the ceramic material to a temperature greater than a brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the ceramic material; a probe for mounting the ceramic material and configured to extend the ceramic material into the heat source; a plasma-confining medium and a sacrificial layer disposed between the ceramic material and the plasma-confining medium; and an energy pulse generator such as a laser pulse generator. The sacrificial layer is utilized to form plasma between the ceramic material and the plasma-confining medium. The method comprises heating ceramic material to a temperature greater than a brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the ceramic material and subjecting the ceramic material to energy pulses via a sacrificial layer and a plasma-confining medium whereby a plasma of the sacrificial coating forms between the ceramic material and a plasma-confining medium.

A laser processing apparatus and a stack processing apparatus are provided. The laser processing apparatus can perform steps selectively by switching of optical paths. The steps are a step in which a first surface of a flat-plate structure is irradiated with a laser and a step in which a surface opposite to the first surface of the structure is irradiated with the laser. The laser is a linear laser whose shape on the irradiated surface is a rectangle. By laser irradiation performed while the structure is moved in the horizontal direction, the whole or a desired region of the first surface or the opposite surface of the structure can be processed.

A method of separating a substrate includes directing a laser beam into the substrate such that a focal line is formed with at least a portion of the laser beam focal line within a bulk of the substrate at an oblique angle with respect to a laser-incident surface of the substrate. The laser beam focal line is formed by a pulsed laser beam that is disposed along a beam propagation direction. The method further includes pulsing the pulsed laser beam from a first edge of the substrate to a second edge of the substrate in a single pass. The laser beam focal line generates an induced multi-photon absorption within the substrate that produces a damage track within the bulk of the substrate along the laser beam focal line, and the damage track is at an oblique angle relative to the laser-incident surface of the substrate.

Methods and apparatus for extending the lifetime of optical components are disclosed. A beam of laser energy directed along a beam path that intersects a scan lens, through which it can be transmitted. The beam path can be deflected within a scan region of the scan lens to process a workpiece with the laser energy transmitted by the scan lens. The scan region can be shifted to a different location within the scan lens, e.g., to delay or avoid accumulation of laser-induced damage within the scan lens, while processing a workpiece.

This invention relates to a method, system and apparatus for cladding a surface of an articles subject to corrosive, erosive or abrasive wear, such as impact or grinding tools. The method includes providing a supply of stock material and feeding the stock material towards a portion of the surface of the article via a dedicated feed source. A dedicated heat source heats the fed stock material and the portion of the surface of the article such that the heated stock material and the portion of the surface at least partially melt. Upon removal of the heat, the molten feedstock and the surface portion form a bonded coating layer on at least a portion of the surface of the article, thereby protecting that part of the assembly against wear.