A water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves

Abstract

This invention discloses a water-guided laser machining process for diamond blind grooves. This process, through multi-angle compensation, not only optimizes the laser incident angle, reduces scattering effects, and improves groove wall smoothness, but also avoids periodic patterns and defects caused by unidirectional machining. Dynamic angle adjustment ensures that the laser focus is always matched with the material surface, effectively mitigating energy attenuation issues caused by increasing depth and ensuring uniform machining at the bottom of deep grooves. It also enables the creation of complex multi-tapered or gradient structures, significantly improving machining flexibility. Simultaneously, multi-angle machining improves heat distribution, reduces the impact of heat accumulation on material properties, optimizes the water flow field, enhances machining stability, overcomes depth-to-diameter ratio limitations, and improves removal rate and machining accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water-guided laser processing technology, specifically a water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves. Background Technology

[0002] Water-guided laser processing, as a green and efficient precision machining technology, is gradually becoming the mainstream choice in the precision machining field due to its environmentally friendly process, excellent surface quality, and taper-free hole precision. Water-guided laser processing equipment couples nanosecond pulsed lasers with micro-high-speed water jets. The water jet's scouring action cools the workpiece in real time during processing, reducing the heat-affected zone, improving machining accuracy and quality, while simultaneously reducing processing time and waste. However, for difficult-to-machine materials such as diamond and silicon carbide ceramics, existing water-guided laser processing technologies still face significant challenges.

[0003] Diamond blind grooves have wide applications in high-end manufacturing, especially in semiconductor heat dissipation structures, precision optical devices, lubrication grooves for superhard tools, and aerospace microchannels. The design of blind grooves enables functions such as heat conduction, light guiding, and fluid transport within the material, meeting the needs of high-performance devices and complex structures. Water-guided laser machining of diamond blind grooves is a potentially ideal technology. Using water flow as a medium, it enables non-contact, high-precision machining on high-hardness materials while reducing the heat-affected zone. However, diamond blind groove machining presents a significant technical challenge, primarily due to the difficulty in precisely controlling the water jet length. The water jet may diffuse after long-distance propagation, causing the laser energy to gradually weaken and diverge during propagation. This affects the laser energy transfer and depth of action, resulting in uneven groove walls. This leads to stronger laser energy on the upper layer of material and lower removal efficiency for the lower layer, resulting in a tapered shape. Furthermore, the complex morphology of the blind groove bottom significantly impacts the water jet state. Fluctuations in the water jet and uneven distribution of laser energy can lead to irregular bottom morphology, microcracks, or other machining defects.

[0004] Nevertheless, water-guided laser machining of diamond blind grooves is of great significance: on the one hand, it can overcome the limitations of traditional machining, avoid problems such as tool wear and local thermal damage, and ensure high-quality machining; on the other hand, through optimized control of the water beam and laser, the morphological accuracy and depth-to-diameter ratio of the blind groove can be significantly improved, thus promoting the manufacturing capability of diamond microstructures.

[0005] In existing technologies, such as the coupling component and water-guided laser processing apparatus containing the same disclosed in Chinese Patent CN 118926681 A, an hourglass-shaped homogenization cavity is formed inside the main body of the coupling component, and air inlets are formed on the side wall of the main body. Gas is introduced into the narrow waist section of the homogenization cavity from both sides through the air inlets. After being blocked by the water jet and the cavity wall, the gas forms two spindle-shaped vortices flowing in opposite directions, thereby reducing the interference of the airflow on the water jet. The upper vortex flows upward close to the water jet, suppressing the downward transmission of surface waves from the water jet; the lower vortex moves downward along the water jet and then swirls upward, enhancing the suppression of the backwash water. This improves the stability of the water jet while extending its stable length. In the water-guided laser processing apparatus containing the aforementioned coupling component, the different effects of the two airflows are superimposed simultaneously, allowing the coupling component to significantly improve processing quality and efficiency without changing energy consumption, thus meeting the processing requirements of workpieces with large depth-to-diameter ratios. However, this technical solution is a single-axis machining process. Single-axis machining structures are limited by the beam focus and energy distribution, which easily leads to taper errors, resulting in errors in the processed products and preventing the improvement of production efficiency.

[0006] For example, Chinese patent CN 118492611 A discloses a water-guided laser rapid drainage workpiece platform, including a frame, a moving system, a workpiece clamping device, and a negative pressure drainage device. The moving system is mounted on the frame, and the workpiece clamping device is mounted on the moving system to clamp the workpiece. Driven by the moving system, the workpiece moves, and the negative pressure drainage device rapidly removes water remaining on the workpiece surface using negative pressure. Due to the material characteristics of water-guided laser-processed workpieces and the fact that most workpieces have planar structures, water easily remains on the workpiece surface and in the formed grooves, affecting processing quality and disrupting the stability of the water jet. This invention uses negative pressure-assisted rapid drainage to both accelerate the removal of residual water through negative pressure absorption and guide the discharge of molten slag. Simultaneously, the drainage pipe and air pipe pass through the stopper of the storage bottle and communicate with the inner cavity, making connection more convenient and facilitating the disassembly and replacement of the storage bottle. Although this technical solution can reduce water column backflow, it still cannot solve the technical challenges of taper control, complex shapes, deep groove processing, and surface quality. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves. This technology can effectively solve the technical problems of taper control, complex shape, deep groove processing and surface quality in traditional processing methods by dynamically adjusting the workpiece angle. Combined with optimized laser parameters and water-guided jet characteristics, this method can play a huge advantage in the field of diamond precision machining.

[0008] Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides a water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves, which includes the following specific steps:

[0009] Step 1

[0010] Before processing diamonds, the material to be processed is placed in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and then cleaned again with distilled water to make its surface clean.

[0011] Step Two

[0012] The diamond is fixed to the diamond clamp using an adhesive. Because the diamond is relatively small, the diamond is glued to the diamond clamp using an adhesive. The diamond clamp is a combination of a round bar and a vise. By gluing the diamond to the clamp, damage to the diamond due to stress during processing is effectively prevented.

[0013] Step 3

[0014] A water jet device is set on the water-guided laser processing head, and the water pressure parameters and laser parameters for processing diamond are set. The water jet flows out from the nozzle on the water jet device.

[0015] The stability of the water jet length ejected by the water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head depends on the water pressure and the micro-orifice diameter, and the relevant water jet length is directly dependent on the water velocity.

[0016]

[0017] Where v is the water velocity in m / s and p is the water pressure in bar;

[0018] Step Four

[0019] The material to be processed is processed according to the preset processing trajectory, and the offset cutting method is used to cut along the surface edge of the part, which effectively reduces the thermal damage generated during the processing.

[0020] Step 5

[0021] After processing the material for 3 to 4 minutes, tilt the clamp holding the material by 0.05° so that the laser processing head and the kerf are at a 0.05° tilt angle. This effectively reduces the kerf taper, which is to improve the performance of diamond blind groove parts. Taper affects the mechanical properties of diamond.

[0022] Step Six

[0023] After the fixture is tilted and clamped, the material is processed again. A water spraying device is used to guide the water jet onto the material surface. The relevant parameters of the water spraying device are the same as in step three, thereby reducing the local temperature of the material surface and reducing thermal damage during the processing.

[0024] Step Seven

[0025] After the material processing is completed, remove the diamond from the fixture, then place the processed material in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and finally rinse the material with clean water again.

[0026] Step 8

[0027] The finished product after cutting and processing is placed under an optical microscope, and the taper of the diamond kerf after processing is statistically analyzed.

[0028] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material to be processed is placed in anhydrous ethanol and ultrasonically cleaned for 5 to 6 minutes.

[0029] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step two, the adhesive is a strong, fast-drying repair adhesive, and the supplier of the strong, fast-drying repair adhesive is Gunnarsson.

[0030] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step three, the water spraying device is set with a water pressure of 250 bar to 350 bar, and the water temperature in the water jet is 20°C to 26°C.

[0031] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step three, the single-pulse energy in the laser parameters exceeds 3mJ;

[0032] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step four, the processing trajectory is set on the water-guided laser processing equipment and the processing trajectory code is output on the water-guided laser processing equipment using UG software.

[0033] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step five, the clamp is a universal table vise.

[0034] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step seven, the processed product is ultrasonically cleaned and then rinsed again with ultrapure water for 5 to 6 minutes.

[0035] Beneficial effects: The water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves described in this invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0036] (1) Through multi-angle compensation, not only can the laser incident angle be optimized, the scattering effect reduced, and the smoothness of the groove wall improved, but also the periodic patterns and defects caused by processing in a single direction can be avoided.

[0037] (2) Dynamic angle adjustment ensures that the laser focus is always matched with the material surface, effectively reducing the energy attenuation problem caused by the increase in depth and ensuring uniform processing at the bottom of the deep groove.

[0038] (3) Dynamic angle adjustment enables complex multi-tapered or gradient structures, significantly improving processing flexibility;

[0039] (4) Multi-angle processing improves heat distribution, reduces the impact of heat accumulation on material properties, optimizes water flow field, enhances processing stability, breaks through the depth-to-diameter ratio limit, and improves removal rate and processing accuracy.

[0040] (5) It optimizes economic benefits, provides reliable support for diamond blind groove processing, and conforms to the development trend of green manufacturing and precision machining. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the specific implementation steps of the water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to the present invention are as follows:

[0045] Step 1: Before processing diamond, place the material to be processed in anhydrous ethanol and ultrasonically clean it for 5 minutes. Then, clean the material to be processed again with distilled water to make its surface clean.

[0046] Step 2: Use adhesive to fix the diamond to the diamond clamp. Because the diamond is relatively small, use adhesive to stick the diamond to the diamond clamp. The diamond clamp is a combination of a round bar and a vise. By sticking the diamond to the clamp, damage to the diamond caused by stress during processing is effectively prevented. The adhesive is a strong fast-drying repair adhesive, and the supplier of the strong fast-drying repair adhesive is Gunnarson.

[0047] Step 3: Set up a water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head and set the water pressure parameters and laser parameters for processing diamond. The single pulse energy in the laser parameters exceeds 3mJ. Set the water pressure of the water jet device to 250 bar and the water temperature of the water jet to 20°C. The water jet flows out from the nozzle on the water jet device.

[0048] The stability of the water jet length ejected by the water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head depends on the water pressure and the micro-orifice diameter, and the relevant water jet length is directly dependent on the water velocity.

[0049]

[0050] Where v is the water velocity in m / s and p is the water pressure in bar;

[0051] Step Four

[0052] The material to be processed is processed according to the preset processing trajectory. The offset cutting method is used to cut along the surface edge of the part, which effectively reduces the thermal damage generated during the processing. The processing trajectory is set on the water-guided laser processing equipment, and the processing trajectory code is output on the water-guided laser processing equipment using UG software.

[0053] Step 5

[0054] After processing the material for 3 minutes, tilt the universal vise holding the material by 0.05° so that the laser processing head and the kerf are at a 0.05° angle. This effectively reduces the kerf taper, which is to improve the performance of the diamond blind groove parts. Taper affects the mechanical properties of diamond.

[0055] Step Six

[0056] After the fixture is tilted and clamped, the material is processed again. A water spraying device is used to guide the water jet onto the material surface. The relevant parameters of the water spraying device are the same as in step three, thereby reducing the local temperature of the material surface and reducing thermal damage during the processing.

[0057] Step Seven

[0058] After the material processing is completed, remove the diamond from the fixture, then place the processed material in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and finally rinse the material with clean water for 5 minutes.

[0059] Step 8

[0060] The finished product after cutting and processing is placed under an optical microscope, and the taper of the diamond kerf after processing is statistically analyzed.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the specific implementation steps of the water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to the present invention are as follows:

[0063] Step 1: Before processing diamond, place the material to be processed in anhydrous ethanol and ultrasonically clean it for 5.5 minutes. Then, clean the material to be processed again with distilled water to make its surface clean.

[0064] Step 2: Use adhesive to fix the diamond to the diamond clamp. Because the diamond is relatively small, use adhesive to stick the diamond to the diamond clamp. The diamond clamp is a combination of a round bar and a vise. By sticking the diamond to the clamp, damage to the diamond caused by stress during processing is effectively prevented. The adhesive is a strong fast-drying repair adhesive, and the supplier of the strong fast-drying repair adhesive is Gunnarson.

[0065] Step 3: Set up a water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head and set the water pressure parameters and laser parameters for processing diamond. The single pulse energy in the laser parameters exceeds 3mJ, the water pressure of the water jet device is set to 300 bar, the water temperature of the water jet is 22℃, and the water jet flows out from the nozzle on the water jet device.

[0066] The stability of the water jet length ejected by the water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head depends on the water pressure and the micro-orifice diameter, and the relevant water jet length is directly dependent on the water velocity.

[0067]

[0068] Where v is the water velocity in m / s and p is the water pressure in bar;

[0069] Step Four

[0070] The material to be processed is processed according to the preset processing trajectory. The offset cutting method is used to cut along the surface edge of the part, which effectively reduces the thermal damage generated during the processing. The processing trajectory is set on the water-guided laser processing equipment, and the processing trajectory code is output on the water-guided laser processing equipment using UG software.

[0071] Step 5

[0072] After processing the material for 3.5 minutes, the universal vise holding the material is tilted by 0.05°, so that the laser processing head and the kerf are tilted at a 0.05° angle, which effectively reduces the kerf taper. Reducing the taper is to improve the performance of diamond blind groove parts, as the taper will affect the mechanical properties of diamond.

[0073] Step Six

[0074] After the fixture is tilted and clamped, the material is processed again. A water spraying device is used to guide the water jet onto the material surface. The relevant parameters of the water spraying device are the same as in step three, thereby reducing the local temperature of the material surface and reducing thermal damage during the processing.

[0075] Step Seven

[0076] After the material processing is completed, remove the diamond from the fixture, then place the processed material in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and finally rinse the material with clean water for 5.6 minutes.

[0077] Step 8

[0078] The finished product after cutting and processing is placed under an optical microscope, and the taper of the diamond kerf after processing is statistically analyzed.

[0079] Example 3

[0080] like Figure 1As shown, the specific implementation steps of the water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to the present invention are as follows:

[0081] Step 1: Before processing diamond, place the material to be processed in anhydrous ethanol and ultrasonically clean it for 6 minutes. Then, clean the material to be processed again with distilled water to make its surface clean.

[0082] Step 2: Use adhesive to fix the diamond to the diamond clamp. Because the diamond is relatively small, use adhesive to stick the diamond to the diamond clamp. The diamond clamp is a combination of a round bar and a vise. By sticking the diamond to the clamp, damage to the diamond caused by stress during processing is effectively prevented. The adhesive is a strong fast-drying repair adhesive, and the supplier of the strong fast-drying repair adhesive is Gunnarson.

[0083] Step 3: Set up a water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head and set the water pressure parameters and laser parameters for processing diamond. The single pulse energy in the laser parameters exceeds 3mJ, the water pressure of the water jet device is set to 350 bar, the water temperature of the water jet is 26℃, and the water jet flows out from the nozzle on the water jet device.

[0084] The stability of the water jet length ejected by the water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head depends on the water pressure and the micro-orifice diameter, and the relevant water jet length is directly dependent on the water velocity.

[0085]

[0086] Where v is the water velocity in m / s and p is the water pressure in bar;

[0087] Step Four

[0088] The material to be processed is processed according to the preset processing trajectory. The offset cutting method is used to cut along the surface edge of the part, which effectively reduces the thermal damage generated during the processing. The processing trajectory is set on the water-guided laser processing equipment, and the processing trajectory code is output on the water-guided laser processing equipment using UG software.

[0089] Step 5

[0090] After processing the material for 4 minutes, tilt the universal vise holding the material by 0.05°, so that the laser processing head and the kerf are at a 0.05° tilt angle, which effectively reduces the kerf taper. Reducing the taper is to improve the performance of diamond blind groove parts, as the taper will affect the mechanical properties of diamond.

[0091] Step Six

[0092] After the fixture is tilted and clamped, the material is processed again. A water spraying device is used to guide the water jet onto the material surface. The relevant parameters of the water spraying device are the same as in step three, thereby reducing the local temperature of the material surface and reducing thermal damage during the processing.

[0093] Step Seven

[0094] After the material processing is completed, remove the diamond from the fixture, then place the processed material in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and finally rinse the material with water for 6 minutes.

[0095] Step 8

[0096] The finished product after cutting and processing is placed under an optical microscope, and the taper of the diamond kerf after processing is statistically analyzed.

[0097] Traditional single-axis machining is limited by the beam focus and energy distribution, making it prone to taper errors. Multi-angle compensation not only optimizes the laser incident angle, reduces scattering effects, and improves the smoothness of the groove wall, but also avoids periodic patterns and defects caused by machining in a single direction. Dynamic angle adjustments ensure the laser focus remains aligned with the material surface, effectively mitigating energy attenuation with increasing depth and ensuring uniform machining at the bottom of deep grooves. It also enables complex multi-tapered or gradient structures, significantly improving machining flexibility. Simultaneously, multi-angle machining improves heat distribution, reduces the impact of heat buildup on material properties, optimizes the water flow field, enhances machining stability, overcomes depth-to-diameter ratio limitations, and improves removal rate and machining accuracy.

[0098] This invention solves the technical challenges of taper control, complex shape processing, deep groove machining, and surface quality in traditional machining methods. Combined with optimized laser parameters and water jet characteristics, this method offers significant advantages in the field of diamond precision machining.

[0099] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: Step 1 Before processing diamonds, the material to be processed is placed in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and then cleaned again with distilled water to make its surface clean. Step Two A diamond is fixed to a diamond clamp using an adhesive. Step 3 A water jet device is set on the water-guided laser processing head, and the water pressure parameters and laser parameters for processing diamond are set. The water jet flows out from the nozzle on the water jet device. The stability of the water jet length ejected by the water jet device on the water-guided laser processing head depends on the water pressure and the micro-orifice diameter, and the relevant water jet length is directly dependent on the water velocity. v =12× ； Where v is the water velocity in m / s and p is the water pressure in bar; The water spray device is set with a water pressure of 250 bar to 350 bar, the water temperature in the water jet is 20°C to 26°C, and the single pulse energy in the laser parameters exceeds 3 mJ. Step Four The material to be processed is processed according to the preset processing trajectory. The offset cutting method is used to cut along the surface edge of the part. The processing trajectory is set on the water-guided laser processing equipment and the processing trajectory code is output on the water-guided laser processing equipment using UG software. Step 5 After processing the material for 3 to 4 minutes, tilt the clamp holding the material by 0.05° so that the laser processing head and the kerf are at a 0.05° tilt angle, which effectively reduces the taper of the kerf. Step Six After the fixture is tilted and clamped, the material is processed again. A water jet is sprayed onto the material surface using a water spraying device. The parameters of the water spraying device are the same as in step three. Step Seven After the material processing is completed, remove the diamond from the fixture, then place the processed material in anhydrous ethanol for ultrasonic cleaning, and finally rinse the material with clean water again. Step 8 The finished product after cutting and processing is placed under an optical microscope, and the taper of the diamond kerf after processing is statistically analyzed.

2. The water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step one, the material to be processed is placed in anhydrous ethanol and ultrasonically cleaned for 5 to 6 minutes.

3. The water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adhesive is a high-strength, fast-drying repair adhesive.

4. The water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step five, the clamp is a universal table vise.

5. The water-guided laser processing technology for diamond blind grooves according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step seven, after ultrasonic cleaning, the processed product is rinsed again with ultrapure water for 5 to 6 minutes.

Images