First approach to generate comb linked parts by laser melting

Abstract

In micro range, the balance between gravitational forces and forces related to the surface of a body are oppositional compared to macro range. Downsizing the geometry of a body leads to faster decrease of forces related togravitation compared to the decrease of forces related to the surface.At a certain stage, the effect of surface tension exceeds gravitational force. A benefit of this behavior is applied by the laser melting process where the top surface area of a rod is molten by laser beam energy. The resulting sphere sticks to the rod and can be formed after cooling in a secondary process step. In this article the robustness of the laser melting process is investigated and a method is shown creating a comb linked part which enables better handling of the micro parts.