The machine is the first product developed by the company in its laser machining system business. It now aims to expand sales of the Ablaser to the North American and European markets, while proposing its laser machining solutions which employ the Ablaser in the semiconductor manufacturing process to the markets in Asia.

The Japanese precision instruments manufacturer will use the system primarily for precision machining of very hard or brittle materials. Ablaser will enable micro-precision machining of difficult-to-cut brittle materials. By also eliminating the need for pre- and post-processing when etching, the new machine will also help to reduce running costs.

Ablaser adopts an ultra-short pulse laser that enables machined surfaces of micro precision and high quality. Combining an optical head featuring a high-precision lens, prism and other components, knowhow for precision machine tools is used to refract and rotate the laser beam at will.

By ablating the machining area with high peak power, thermal impact on the area can be suppressed. In drilling applications, dimensional accuracy and surface smoothness are achieved above the levels possible with electric discharge machining or conventional laser machining. These features enable difficult machining tasks such as conically tapered holes and holes tapering toward the centre.