Pulsar Photonics RDX 500

Key Technical Data

Available Documents

Scope of Delivery

• Laser system Pulsar Photonics RDX 500 (base machine)
• Laser source EdgeWave PX25-2
• Control PC with software
• 2D galvanometer scanner unit with Newson scanner controller A2G_CUA01 incl. F-Theta objective
• Pulsar Photonics Camera Module CM-R1 for workpiece positioning
• Camera-based measurement function (for position and reference measurement)
• 1 tool parameter set for ITO thin-film ablation
• 1 tool parameter set for glass cutting
• Additional tool parameter sets can be developed on request
• Exhaust/suction device for ablation particles
• Vacuum chuck with vacuum pump for flat sample fixation
• CAM software: Rhinoceros 5.0 incl. PhotonicVectors plugin (license)
• Documentation/manual
• Type plate present
• Accessories as agreed
• Documentation package (see "Documents" tab)

Not Included

• Installation / commissioning (can be arranged)
• Additional components outside the current configuration (unless explicitly stated in the offer)

Condition & History

Application Fields

The green 532 nm picosecond laser combines the advantages of high absorption in reflective materials with the precision of short wavelengths. Compared to infrared, it offers significantly better coupling into copper and semiconductors; compared to UV, higher available power with good edge quality. Ideal for R&D, prototyping, and small-batch production.

Ready to use immediately

Achievable with extension

Why this paper – deriving process parameters instead of starting from scratch

Every new application first requires a suitable process parameter set – pulse fluence, repetition rate, spot overlap and scan speed – to be developed. This invited paper provides the scientific data basis for that: systematically measured ablation rates, threshold fluences and HAZ values for more than 25 materials. Buyers can derive their own starting parameters from it instead of beginning characterisation studies entirely from scratch.

For context: the paper was authored by engineers at Coherent Inc. and has no manufacturer relationship to this machine – the machine is made by Pulsar Photonics and the laser source (EdgeWave PX25-2) by EdgeWave. It is relevant purely for its content: with pulse durations from 300 fs to 18 ps at wavelengths of 345 nm, 517 nm and 1035 nm it covers exactly the parameter space of this machine (10 ps, 532 nm).

The 517 nm wavelength used in the paper (frequency-doubled Yb laser, 1035/2 nm) is physically near-identical to the 532 nm laser of this machine – both are "green" ps lasers with the same absorption characteristics in the investigated materials. The published measurements are therefore directly usable as a starting point for parameter development.

Key Findings for 532 nm Picosecond Lasers

1. Ablation Rates at 532 nm for Relevant Materials

The ablation rate describes the material volume removed per minute per Watt of installed laser power [mm³/(W·min)] – the central metric for process speed. At the optimum pulse fluence (≈ e² × threshold fluence), the following maximum values are achieved at ~532 nm (from Hodgson et al., Figs. 9–13):

Source: Hodgson et al. (2021), Figs. 9–15. Measured at 517 nm (≈ 532 nm), spot diameter 12–25 µm, 250 kHz repetition rate, 60 % spot overlap.

2. Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) Analysis

A central finding: for pulse durations below approximately 8–10 ps, the HAZ width is largely independent of pulse duration – 10 ps sits right at this characteristic boundary. The dominant parameter is the applied pulse fluence:

• At optimum fluence (≈ 7.4 × threshold fluence): ablation rate is maximised and HAZ simultaneously minimised
• For metals with 20 µm spot diameter: typical HAZ width 6–8 µm (steel at 345 nm)
• Shorter wavelength (532 nm vs. 1035 nm) enables smaller focus spot → lower absolute HAZ width
• For plastics (Kapton, PET): HAZ strongly dependent on spot size – UV wavelength advantageous for minimum HAZ

3. Process Optimisation: Optimum Fluence & Burst Mode

Maximum ablation rate is achieved at the optimum pulse fluence F_opt = e² × F_th (approximately 7.4× the threshold fluence). The paper identifies three strategies to reach this optimum:

1. Double the laser power (at same repetition rate) → +40 % speed, but higher HAZ
2. Double both power and repetition rate simultaneously → double speed at same HAZ
3. Increase repetition rate to 5–10 MHz (at same power) → optimum fluence, highest efficiency ✓

Alternatively, seeder burst mode (multi-pulse bursts, e.g. 10 pulses at 60 MHz seed frequency) reduces individual pulse energy and shifts the operating point closer to the optimum fluence – without requiring increased galvo scanner speed. Particularly effective for glasses and semiconductors.

4. Industrial Application Examples with 532 nm / 10 ps

The paper documents industrial processes with exactly this machine's parameters (10 ps, 532 nm, ~25 W, 1 MHz) – from Figs. 28–29:

Source: Hodgson et al. (2021), Figs. 27–30.

Frequently Asked Questions