SYNTECS | Complex shaped copper vapour chamber (VC)
SYNTECS will use LST to match and improve the cooling efficiency achieved by sintered wick VCs (by up to 48%) by enabling enhanced water/vapour transport and evaporation. The multi-axis SYNTECS machine will enable texturing on internal surfaces of top and bottom plates which have complex geometries in the X, Y and Z planes.
DLW will be used to produce 50-200 μm grooves on the plates, with aspect ratios (3-5) that could not be achieved by mechanical methods.
These grooves will support long-range capillary action to pull water around the system. DLIP (10-20 μm) and LIPSS (100-200 nm) hierarchical texturing on top of the grooved structure will promote tangential transport of water between the grooves and give a larger surface area for evaporation.
The use of USP burst mode will be used to enhance ablation efficiency (to >5 μm3/μJ, 10x enhancement vs single pulse USP processing) to bring the process in line with industrial expectations for the production of ~5M VCs/ year.
SYNTECS | Stainless steel mould inserts for modular mould tools
Texture development on mould inserts will allow flexibility to transfer surface textures to different interior automotive components e.g. grained instrument panel casing for EVs.
SYNTECS will develop nano & micro scale laser texture development on the injection steel mold surface, aiming to have better texture transfer efficiency, reduced clamping force, better processability of recycled materials and longer lifetime of the mould.
More on that, in injection molded part level, developed texture technology will provide higher scratch resistance and enhanced antimicrobial performance for the selected use-case. Finally, replacing current technology with new texture application will reduce environmental footprint of tool making via cancelling usage of chemicals during chemical etching.
SYNTECS | Representative orthopaedic implant geometries (Acetabular cup and Hip stem)
Life expectancy is rising and so orthopaedic implants must be designed for longer lifetimes and with improved properties.
Device manufacturers are seeking solutions to surface engineer implants for improved initial stability, osseointegration and anti-microbial properties.
DLW will be used to produce surface structures to maximise initial implant stability.
DLIP and LIPSS will be used to produce multi-functional textures with controlled roughness.
The combination of DLIP, DLW and LIPSS in a single laser processing system may also potentially replace several separate processes and improve overall process sustainability.
