I really want to find a reason to buy a laser micromachining system for my work. Someday I will get my way, I'm sure of it. For now I have to settle for a laser ablation ICP-MS, which is still pretty cool. Actually, its kind of awesome.
They both use a solid state laser that is frequency doubled several times to get the frequency up into the UV spectrum. So I vote for the solid state laser as my favorite.
I personally would love a laser sintering machine, I worked with a CNC in a previous life and had much fun crafting all the things. It would be great fun pew pewing a turbine into existence.
Did you see AvE's Electro-Discharge head for the 3d printer? That was some pretty nifty stuff as well.
Not as nifty as a laser of course. But sometimes we must make do.
I wonder what sort of things you run through the spectrometer. Care to elaborate? :)
Thanks for taking the time to comment and read through it. <3
I need to look at Electro-Discharge. We are expecting to see our industry picking up more 3d printing technology as it expands into more alloys. Siemens has already demonstrated 3d printed tungsten, which is a tricky metal to do because of the high melting point.
We use our LA-ICPMS for trace element analysis in metals, mostly nickel or zirconium alloys.
When I was shopping for a new analysis tool I thought it would be cool to set up a 5 axis CNC laser micro-machining center with a spectrometer in it so that we could do simultaneous elemental analysis. We found a vendor who could set it up but the cost/benefit didn't work out.
That sounds like unheard of levels of awesome.
I wonder what you are building with those alloys.... the plot thickens.
Fuel cells? High temp turbine blades?
Implants!?
I must know...
Thanks again for taking the time to respond. <3
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