| Femtosecond laser micromachining is a promising technology for micromachining of various engineering materials. The interaction mechanism of femtosecond laser pulses with matter is completely different compared to traditional lasers. This work presents a detailed study on the ablation of common engineering materials in air with femtosecond laser pulses. The single and multi-shot ablation threshold fluence and incubation coefficient of Nickel, SMA, Tungsten, PZT, Copper, Cobalt, Stainless Steel, Iron, Titanium, Brass and Aluminum are evaluated. The morphological changes on the material are discussed along with the identification of gentle and strong ablation phases.; The ablation study on various materials is used for the microrapid prototyping of mechanical components: actuators, microgears, connecting rod, comb, and flange. The instep methodology from the design to the fabrication phases of these microcomponents, along with the machining parameters and machining times are presented. In addition, the relationship between beam spot overlap area and "surface roughness" is theoretically studied. Subsequent experiments were conducted on silicon wafer with a femtosecond laser system to verify the proposed theory as a novel technique for the fabrication of microchannels with customized "surface roughness" for microfluidic applications. |
