INNOVATION THROUGH AUTOMATION

Laser Drilling

About Robotic Laser Drilling Automation

Midwest Engineered Systems, a leading automated production line integrator, has a history of integrating automated laser drilling processes into a number of automation systems. From small stand-alone laser systems to large robotic integration processes, MWES custom designs each automated laser drilling process for our customer’s specialized needs. Backed by extensive knowledge, experience and certifications, our expert professionals are able to deliver a turn-key solution for your automation needs.

Automated laser drilling breaks down materials layer by layer through repeatedly pulsing laser beams at them, creating thru-holes where desired. When using automated laser drilling, the laser beam’s heat output, intensity and length can be accurately and precisely adjusted and regulated during the drilling process. This sort of control allows the laser drilling process to handle a variety of materials and to drill holes of many different sizes and diameters. Laser drilling is also known as ablation, as the process vaporizes or melts the material it is working on. Due to its high level of adaptability and precision, automated laser drilling serves as an effective alternative to other techniques such as punching, mechanical drilling and wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM).

Benefits of Automated Laser Drilling

Automated laser drilling provides many benefits for factories and other industrial facilities that implement its processes. Included in these benefits are the following:

  • Automation: The laser drilling process can work with different materials or perform many different types of drilling actions through machine process programming and robotic automation. This programming and reprogramming ability allows for efficient setup times and high-volume production opportunities.
  • Variable Hole Shapes: Automated laser drilling has a high degree of control and customizability. This means that this process can create many different hole shapes and even various types of angled holes.
  • Flexibility: Automated laser drilling can quickly switch over to other materials as the need arises, such as when small batches or prototypes need to be drilled.
  • Simultaneous Drilling: Automation permits some processes to drill several different features on the same workpiece concurrently.
  • Non-contact: As a non-contact method, automated laser drilling causes virtually no wear on the materials it drills.
  • Precision: The laser beam’s duration, heat output and beam intensity can be controlled with great exactness, which allows the process to repeatedly fabricate drilled pieces that perfectly match order demands.
  • Diversity of Materials: This process can work on all sorts of both metallic and nonmetallic materials. It works with many metals and with diamonds, including nonmetallic materials such as silicon, plastics and rubbers.
  • Versatility: Typically, the laser drilling tool can fulfill other roles in the laser processing suite, such as laser cutting and laser welding. This allows a manufacturing factory to save time and money.

Industries that use Automated Laser Drilling​

Automated laser drilling serves as a great tool with many applications across a variety of manufacturing industries. Here are some of the industries that use automated laser drilling the most: aerospace, medical, automotive, semiconductor, electronics and consumer manufacturing.

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