Analysis of laser drilled deep holes in stainless steel by superposed pulsed Nd:YAG laser radiation

Deep drilling of through holes in stainless steel (1.4301, sample thicknesses 5, 8 and 10 mm) has been performed with the superposed radiation of two pulsed Nd:YAG lasers with pulse duration of 0.5 ms superposed by 17 ns pulses. The drilling efficiency is improved by the spatially and temporally superposed radiation of the two lasers. The enhanced drilling speed and the larger reproducibility of the drilling time are explained by a modified formation of closures in the hole during percussion drilling which are recorded by high-speed photography. The metallographic hole analysis exhibits high-temperature oxidation marks. The development of these marks is described by a ray tracing of the incident beam within the hole and the resulting intensity distribution at the hole wall.