Laser processing of shaped holes - History and future

Abstract

One of the "hottest" topics today for users of industrial laser processing equipment is the desire to produce shaped holes with laser processing. Both aero engine and land based turbine (LBT) OEM's and their respective supply chains are showing a keen interest in this subject. This paper will trace the history of this process, introduce terms to describe the available processes and resulting shapes, describe the technical limitations to historic approaches, describe a preferred solution and expected results.