Laser systems and methods insert a settling time before and after each tooling action. A peak AOD excursion generally occurs at the transition in velocity between inter-feature moves and tooling moves. This transition occurs both before tooling (on the approach to the tooling location) and after tooling (on the departure from the completed tooling location to the next location). By adding a settling delay on each end of the tooling period, the AOD excursion is allowed to settle to a lower value. This then allows higher inter-tooling velocities (for high throughput) while keeping the AOD travel excursion within the bounds of the system's AOD configuration.

Laser systems and methods insert a settling time before and after each tooling action. A peak AOD excursion generally occurs at the transition in velocity between inter-feature moves and tooling moves. This transition occurs both before tooling (on the approach to the tooling location) and after tooling (on the departure from the completed tooling location to the next location). By adding a settling delay on each end of the tooling period, the AOD excursion is allowed to settle to a lower value. This then allows higher inter-tooling velocities (for high throughput) while keeping the AOD travel excursion within the bounds of the system's AOD configuration.

A method for producing a thermal barrier coating on a component, more particularly on a turbine component and preferably on a turbine blade, wherein the component is provided with the thermal barrier coating and structures are then created in the outer surface of the thermal barrier coating using a laser ablation process so as to segment the surface of the thermal barrier coating, the structures being created in the surface of the thermal barrier coating by an ultrashort pulse laser, more particularly a femtosecond laser is provided.

A method for producing a thermal barrier coating on a component, more particularly on a turbine component and preferably on a turbine blade, wherein the component is provided with the thermal barrier coating and structures are then created in the outer surface of the thermal barrier coating using a laser ablation process so as to segment the surface of the thermal barrier coating, the structures being created in the surface of the thermal barrier coating by an ultrashort pulse laser, more particularly a femtosecond laser is provided.

An example laser tool is configured to operate within a wellbore of a hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation. The laser tool includes one or more optical transmission media as part of an optical path originating at a laser generator configured to generate a laser beam having an axis. The laser tool includes an optical element for receiving the laser beam from the one or more optical transmission media and for output to the hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation. The laser tool includes a purging head for removing dust or vapor from a path of the laser beam. The purging head is for discharging two or more purging gas streams. The purging head may include a coaxial flow assembly and a helical flow assembly. A coaxial purging gas stream may flow in a direction parallel to the axis. A helical purging gas stream may flow in a helical pattern around and substantially along the axis.

A method for forming a plurality of precision holes in a substrate by drilling, including affixing a sacrificial cover layer to a surface of the substrate, positioning a laser beam in a predetermined location relative to the substrate and corresponding to a desired location of one of the plurality of precision holes, forming a through hole in the sacrificial cover layer by repeatedly pulsing a laser beam at the predetermined location, and pulsing the laser beam into the through hole formed in the sacrificial cover layer. A work piece having precision holes including a substrate having the precision holes formed therein, wherein a longitudinal axis of each precision hole extends in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a sacrificial cover layer detachably affixed to a surface of the substrate, such that the sacrificial cover layer reduces irregularities of the precision holes.

A method for forming a plurality of precision holes in a substrate by drilling, including affixing a sacrificial cover layer to a surface of the substrate, positioning a laser beam in a predetermined location relative to the substrate and corresponding to a desired location of one of the plurality of precision holes, forming a through hole in the sacrificial cover layer by repeatedly pulsing a laser beam at the predetermined location, and pulsing the laser beam into the through hole formed in the sacrificial cover layer. A work piece having precision holes including a substrate having the precision holes formed therein, wherein a longitudinal axis of each precision hole extends in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a sacrificial cover layer detachably affixed to a surface of the substrate, such that the sacrificial cover layer reduces irregularities of the precision holes.

Systems and methods of laser ablating a component to form a cavity are provided. In one aspect, a laser system laser ablates a component to remove a slice of material therefrom so that at least a portion of a section of the cavity is formed. With the slice of material removed, the laser system laser ablates the component along an outline of the section to remove excess sidewall material therefrom to form one or more sidewalls of the section. This removes tapering of the sidewalls. This process can be iterated to form the depth of the cavity. The laser system then laser ablates the component to remove excess end wall material therefrom to form an end wall of the cavity to a predetermined depth.

Numerous embodiments are disclosed. Many of which relate to methods of forming vias in workpieces such as printed circuit boards. Some embodiments relates techniques for indirectly ablating a region of an electrical conductor structure of, for example, a printed circuit board by spatially distributing laser energy throughout the region before the electrical conductor is indirectly ablated. Other embodiments relate to techniques for temporally-dividing laser pulses, modulating the optical power within laser pulses, and the like.

The invention relates to a method for introducing weaknesses into a decorative material comprising a decorative layer and a carrier layer, preferably used for airbag coverings in motor vehicles, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) introducing different weaknesses (21) by means of a laser (20) into sections (30) of the decorative material (10) for test purposes, wherein the different weaknesses (21) differ from one another in that the different weaknesses (21) are introduced using different parameters of the laser (20); b) measuring the tear properties of the sections (30); c) determining which section (30) which has a desired tear property and associating the relevant parameters of the laser (20) with this section (30); d) setting the laser (20) at the parameters associated in accordance with e); e) introducing weaknesses (22) into the decorative material (10) by means of the laser (20) set in accordance with step e).