The MultiFlex project aimed for a completely new dimension in ultrafast laser processing. By efficiently using twenty times higher laser power compared to conventional processes, a 20 times faster control system, the current process demonstrations reveal an increased productivity by a factor of 30 for all tested use cases.
With the developed technology opening up a new dimension of disruptive flexible multi-beam processing, large area applications get feasible.
Ultrafast laser processing and surface structuring has numerous potential fields of application. The focus of MultiFlex is in the field of structuring tools and molds, but the planned developments can be used for scanner-based laser processing in general, which is 80% of laser based materials processing. Therefore, the impact of these developments are expected to be significant. The developments of this project help to strengthening industrial manufacturing based on ultrashort pulse lasers and to extend its field of applications.
MultiFlex delivers an enabling technology for the European industry in the field of mass production of functional and design surfaces in several fields, e.g. Automotive, Lighting, Consumer and Luxury Goods, Lightweight Construction and Filter Systems.
This helps to bring the advantages of ultrafast laser processing to a broader application and helps to replace environmental problematic technologies like chemical etching.
Due to the significant increase new field of applications like surface functionalization of large parts like ship hulls, wings or wind turbine blades get thinkable, helping to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emission.
The realized average power of 650 W is approximately 200-300% increase compared to commercially available 200-300 W USP-Laser systems.
The the groundbreaking new approach of the individually switchable multi-beam optics has been completed. First demonstration videos of an ablation process of the Multiflex Logo with a fully flexible beam pattern has been published.
A completely new FPGA-based system to control the single beams in dependence on the current beam position has been developed. The system enables arbitrary processing strategies, higher accuracy, and easier usability. Multi-channel AOM as a device to switch multiple beamlets has been developed. To withstand high peak intensities and powers quartz as new material for these devices was used.
An FPGA-based system for acquiring sensor data was developed and realized, correlating sensor data with processing result using different algorithm helping to understand the processes and keep track on the status of key components of the overall system.
The overall on of a kind Multiflex processing machine has been realized and transferred to ILT for the purpose of a “Joint application Lab” to demonstrate different use cases and feasibility studies by end of 2023.
Due to the flexibility in accessing processing parameters, Multiflex technology represents a unique hardware platform to develop future AI algorithms for multidimensional processing strategy development.
