Preliminary investigations of ultrafast intense laser wood processing

Conventional wood machining involves the application of a force to separate chips from the workpiece until the desired workpiece size is achieved. Depending on the magnitude of the force applied and the compressive resistance of the wood, the machined surfaces are usually subjected to permanent deformation, resulting in crushed and broken wood cells. The introduction of the CO2 laser as an alternative to traditional wood machining processes failed to improve surface quality because the wood surface is subjected to heating and oxidation, creating a layer of charcoal. In this preliminary investigation, we report on the application of intense femtosecond Tisapphire laser pulses on the surfaces of spruce, oak, and maple samples. The resulting surfaces were distinguishably superior when compared to other existing methods of wood machining. The wood surface was not charred or melted and the wood cells on the cut surface remained virtually undamaged. Various parameters of this method of machining, such as cutting depth and kerf width, are currently under investigation and the results will be presented in subsequent papers.

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