Laser microfabrication of bearing structures for fluid bearing motor system

A 355nm DPSS laser with an output power of up to 1W is used to prevent heat creation during the fabrication. The laser is directed by a series of mirror and lens to focus down to the bearing surface. A 4-axis motion control system is used to move the sample, so that the laser will scan along the defined path to create journal/thrust-bearing structures on the components. CNC software is used to create the design of the bearing structure and define the toolpath for laser scanning. The depth of the grooves can be controlled by varying the laser power and scanning speed. Therefore, we use laser micromachining process to fabricate the bearing grooves on the air-bearing components' surface.