Automated Laser Ablation of Inhomogeneous Metal Oxide Films to Manufacture Uniform Surface Temperature Profile Electrical Heating Elements

• Published in: Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing Vol. 3; no. 3; p. 65
• Main Authors: Ingham, Joshua, Lewis, John, Cheneler, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Ablation; Algorithms; automated manufacture; Automation; Carbon; Climate change; Dependent variables; Heat; heating element; Infrared imaging systems; Investigations; Iron; Laser ablation; Laser beam heating; Lasers; Manufacturing; metal oxide films; Metal oxides; Microscopy; Nickel; Ohmic dissipation; Oxidation; Oxide coatings; Production costs; Resistance heating; Spectrum analysis; Temperature; Temperature control; Temperature dependence; Temperature distribution; Temperature profiles
• ISSN: 2504-4494; 2504-4494
• DOI: 10.3390/jmmp3030065

This paper presents automated laser ablation strategies to improve the temperature distribution across the surface of inhomogeneous Ni-Fe-Cr-NiO electrical heating elements during joule heating. A number of iterative closed-loop laser control algorithms have been developed and analyzed in order to assess their impact on the efficacy of the heating element, in terms of homogeneous temperature control, and on the implications for automated fabrication of inhomogeneous metal oxide films. Analysis shows that the use of the leading method, i.e., use of a temperature-dependent variable-power approach with memory of previous processes, showed a 68% reduction in the standard deviation of the temperature distribution of the heating element and a greater uniformity of temperature profile as compared to existing manual methods of processing.