25 October 2007

DCU laser micromachining researchers have won the top application prize for their published paper on laser micromachining at the NI Days Worldwide Virtual Instrumentation Conference in London.

Over the last five years Dr. Dermot Brabazon, Dr. Ahmed Issa and Prof. Saleem Hashmi of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and the Materials Processing Research Centre (MPRC) have developed two laser micromachining processes which allow for the production of channels and voxels with highly repeatable micrometer level resolution. Devices fabricated with this developed technology can be used for applications such as microfluidic lab on a chip, strain measurement, sub-micrometer cooling systems and various photonic guiding systems.

The paper was entitled, Laser System Automation using LabVIEW and PCI E-Series Board for 3D Internal Micromachining. This work illustrated the sophisticated automated 3D Nd:YVO4 and CO2 laser micro fabrication facilities that were developed. In order to achieve the precise control, CAD processing, laser firing, 3D sample movement and thermal field modelling software were developed. In addition, in order to characterise the high efficiency achieved from these processes, an in house built automated channel and voxel profiler was used.

NI Days, which has been running for the past decade, gives engineers and scientists from across the UK & Ireland an opportunity to learn how the latest developments in computer-based measurement and automation increase productivity and lower cost through graphical system design and virtual instrumentation

The prize includes flight and accommodation to NI Week in Austin, TX, next year, a plaque and LEGO Mindstorms NXT.

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