STTR Phase I: Pulsed Laser Polishing

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable development of pulsed laser micro polishing equipment and the software needed to use and control the equipment. To obtain a desired level of polishing (a mirror finish for example), many decisions must be made such as the path of the polishing laser over a surface to be polished, the speed with which the laser beam moves, the diameter of the laser beam, and the laser power setting. These decisions are physically related in complex ways, and careful equipment design and software development is needed to produce a cost-effective laser micro polishing machine. In this project, models will be created and experimentally validated that predict surface roughness after pulsed laser micro polishing has been performed. The models also will recommend the laser path, beam diameter, etc. that will produce the desired results based on the original surface and the desired surface. The software models will be integrated with a cost-effective laser micro polishing equipment design that can be applied to a variety of customer-specific polishing applications and to stand-alone laser polishing systems. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to enable commercial automated polishing of manufactured metallic parts. This is a challenge because the surfaces of these parts can be relatively rough, which can negatively affect part shape, cause friction between contacting surfaces in devices, make appearance unacceptable, etc. Unlike traditional polishing methods (chemical etch, abrasive slurry, electro polishing, etc.), pulsed laser micro polishing is a method by which the rough surfaces on precisely selected areas on parts can be quickly polished using automated equipment. Laser polishing can be over 10 times faster than manual polishing, and surfaces can be polished without changing shape, creating hazardous waste, or leaving chemical residues. For example, titanium and stainless steel components are common in medical devices, and these components cannot be chemically contaminated. Polishing a mirror finish on molds for advanced lighting devices without changing their shape can lead to significant increases in efficiency of household lighting. Thousands of smaller mold makers in the United States seek lower costs and replacement of manual polishing with automated polishing.