Laser drilling with the LASERTEC PowerDrill series

The leader in 5-axis laser-drilling technology

Through close collaboration with leading manufacturers of aerospace components and stationary gas turbines, DMG MORI has acquired vast expertise in the development and application of laser drilling. This has established the leading machine tool manufacturer as a technology leader in 5-axis laser drilling, resulting in a product range that excels in industrial series production, especially when it comes to the LASERTEC PowerDrill series.

Wear-free processes with maximum precision

Blades and guide vanes, combustion chambers, and other essential components in aircraft or stationary gas turbines boast numerous air holes for cooling. Laser drilling with LASERTEC PowerDrill machines is a non-contact process. This means that a high-performance laser is directed onto the surface of the workpiece, where the energy of the laser beam melts and vaporises the material, creating a hole. Various strategies are available here: with percussion drilling, the material is processed with a succession of several short laser pulses. This method allows for the ultra-high-precision creation of deeper holes, while using less energy. This even makes micro-drilling possible, with tiny diameters as small as 0.05 mm. Trepanning enlarges an existing starter hole by guiding the laser in circular paths over the component. Laser drilling is substantially faster than conventional, mechanical drilling methods – the former is capable of up to 500 bores per second with a rotating workpiece, and it does so wear-free.

The right machine solutions for every application

With the LASERTEC 50 PowerDrill and the LASERTEC 100 / 160 PowerDrill, DMG MORI has delivered a wide range of components for 5-axis laser precision drilling, from small parts to XXL components. The travel distances are 540 x 500 x 700 mm and 1,600 x 1,000 x 1,000 mm respectively. The positioning accuracy of the machines is 9 µm. Fibre lasers are used as laser sources and boast peak powers ranging from 9 kW to 23 kW. The PowerShape technology allows for shaped hole geometries. To deliver convenient operation and programming, DMG MORI has also developed the LASERSOFT PowerDrill software.

Automation solutions mean that laser technology can be used even more productively. By using pallet handling systems, users can optimise their deployment of LASERTEC PowerDrill machines, even during unmanned shifts. Both technologies, PowerDrill and PowerShape, can even be effectively integrated alongside one another.