LASER DIODE ARRAYS FOR RAPID SURFACE HEATING

RESEARCHERS ARE TESTING THE USE OF LASER DIODE ARRAYS FOCUSED DIRECTLY ONTO THE WORK PIECE FOR RAPID HEATING OF MATERIALS. LASER DIODE ARRAYS ARE MUCH SMALLER AND MORE EFFICIENT THAN FLASH LAMPS OR OTHER ELECTRICALLY POWERED LASERS, SUCH AS CO2. AN INSTRUMENT THE SIZE OF A HOT AIR BLOWER COULD DELIVER OVER TEN KILOWATTS OF LIGHT ENERGY FOR HARDENING THE SURFACE OF ALLOYS IN STRUCTURES SUCH AS BOATS OR PLANES, OR A SMALLER INSTRUMENT COULD BE RUN OVER THE SURFACE OF AN INTRICATE PIECE WITHOUT THE ELABORATE SET UP NOW REQUIRED ON LARGE LASER SYSTEMS. INVESTIGATORS ARE TESTING THE USE OF WAVEGUIDE FOCUSING TO BRING THE 1 MW/CM2 LIGHT INTENSITY AVAILABLE AT THE OUTPUT OF EACH LASER IN THE ARRAY TO A COMMON HOMOGENOUS BEAM. A SMALL, MOBILE INSTRUMENT IS BEING FABRICATED TO APPLY THE LIGHT BEAM SO GENERATED TO ALTERING POLYMER SURFACE PROPERTIES, HARDENING TOOL STEELS AND CERAMICS USED FOR CUTTING, IMPROVING WEAR OF BEARINGS AND BIOMEDICAL IMPLANTS, AND OXIDE REFLOW ON SEMICONDUCTOR CIRCUITS.