Descrizione del progetto
Laser superveloci realizzano modelli molto piccoli su strutture molto grandi
La creazione di modelli 3D sulle superfici ne modifica le proprietà e il modo in cui interagiscono con altri materiali. I laser ultraveloci si stanno dimostrando particolarmente promettenti in questo campo. Le caratteristiche della superficie in scale da nanometriche a millimetriche possono essere controllate per mettere a punto le funzionalità e le prestazioni in numerose applicazioni, dal settore aerospaziale alla biomedicina, con particolare interesse per la bagnabilità, l’attrazione e la repulsione. Il progetto FemtoSurf, finanziato dall’UE, ha in mente un’idea coraggiosa per questi piccoli modelli. Il team sta sviluppando la tecnologia per consentire il controllo simultaneo ma individuale fino a più fasci di luce laser ultraveloce per il patterning delle superfici. Se integrato in un impianto industriale automatizzato, il sistema consentirà di realizzare un disegno su scala micrometrica in componenti di lunghezza superiore a diversi metri.
Obiettivo
The tremendous success of lasers in industry resulted in massive demand for photonics-based solutions. At the moment lasers are inseparable part of fields like communications, medicine, science and heavy industry. This is due to outstanding versatility of light, as it can be used as means for both measurement and direct processing. One of the newest developments in the field is advent of ultra-fast femtosecond (fs) lasers. Alongside all the standard laser properties, these lasers add capability to control temporal and thermal characteristics of light-matter interaction as well as eliminate any material related restrictions due ultra-high light intensities achievable. For these reasons fs lasers are predicated to play pivotal role in 4th industrial revolution with ultrafast laser marked projected to grow up to 7.1 billion dollars by 2021. Direct surface treatment is one of the key areas where fs lasers proved highly promising. Specific light-matter interaction regimes enabled by fs pulses allow to create surface patterns in scales ranging from nanoripples to millimetre-sized grooves. Such surface features could be made into either repelling or adhering. As it is direct process applicable for any kind of surface metal patterning is especially interesting, as it could find use if fields like medicine, aerospace, maritime and tool manufacturing, replacing various coatings, lubricants or enabling entirely new properties. The main objective of FemtoSurf is to exploit the newest advances in laser development for creation of industrial-grade 2-3 kW-level fs laser that would be integrated in propose-built optical chain enabling multi-beam processing (up to 100 simultaneous beams) with individually controlled spatial distributions in each laser spot, integrated into a fully automated processing setup for efficient patterning arbitrary shaped metal components with sizes exceeding several meters while retaining micrometre level precision.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
LT10233 VILNIUS
Lituania
L’organizzazione si è definita una PMI (piccola e media impresa) al momento della firma dell’accordo di sovvenzione.