An industry-relevant method to determine material-specific parameters for ultra-short pulsed laser ablation of cemented carbide

Abstract In recent years, it has been shown that ultra-short pulsed lasers can be used for the post processing and the fabrication of cutting tools. This new manufacturing technology can compete with the mainly used grinding process due to its ability to ablate materials independent of their hardness and without any wear. The knowledge of material properties is necessary for an optimal choice of machining parameters and the prediction of the ablation process. Measuring them is challenging, especially for inhomogeneous, ultra-hard materials. In this paper, an industry-relevant method is presented, which enables to determine the threshold fluence and the optical properties of cemented carbide. The required material-specific parameters are derived from simple ablation experiments, which are carried out on a modern laser machining center. Finally, the results are used to present a formula to calculate the material removal rate at different angles of incidence of the laser beam.