Focusing on Throttle Hole Microvia Machining: Precise Fluid Control with Femtosecond Laser Shaping

A throttle orifice is a structure that restricts flow and controls pressure in a fluid system.

A throttling orifice is usually a channel with a small aperture. The principle of operation is to control flow and pressure by reducing the cross-sectional area through which the fluid passes, thereby increasing the resistance of the fluid.

For example, in a hydraulic system, a throttle orifice can be used to regulate the speed of movement of an actuating element. When the hydraulic fluid passes through the throttle orifice, due to the smaller diameter of the orifice, the flow rate of the fluid increases and the pressure decreases, thus realizing the control of the flow rate, which in turn controls the speed of movement of the hydraulic actuating elements (e.g., hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic motors).

Then, for example, in the refrigeration system, the throttle orifice also has an important application. By controlling the flow rate of refrigerant, it ensures the normal operation and cooling effect of the system under different working conditions. 

The design and selection of the size of the throttle orifice depends on the specific application scenario and the required flow and pressure control requirements. Common forms of throttling orifices include simple round orifices, tapered orifices, and short pipe throttling.

Femtosecond laser processing can be used to fabricate throttle holes. Femtosecond lasers have ultrashort pulses and very high peak power, enabling high-precision, high-quality microvia processing.

The following are some of the advantages of femtosecond laser processing for the manufacture of throttle bores:

1. extremely high precision: very small diameter and precise size of throttle orifices can be manufactured to meet the applications that require very high dimensional accuracy of throttle orifices.

2. non-contact machining: no mechanical pressure is exerted on the workpiece, avoiding deformation and damage during the machining process.

3. Small thermal impact: due to the extremely short pulse, the heat can not be diffused in time, the heat-affected zone in the processing area is very small, reducing the impact on the performance of the surrounding materials.

Femtosecond laser processing and manufacturing of throttle orifices has a wide range of applications in the following fields:

1. aerospace:

  In the fuel injection system of aircraft engines, precise throttle holes help optimize the fuel injection volume and injection pattern, improving combustion efficiency and engine performance.

   In the hydraulic and pneumatic control system of spacecraft, high-precision throttle orifices can ensure the precise control and stable operation of the system.

2. Medical field:

   Throttle holes in medical devices, such as microfluidic chips, are used to accurately control the flow of liquids for precise drug delivery and testing.

3. electronics industry:

  Etching and microchannel processing in semiconductor manufacturing, throttle vias help control the flow of gases and liquids to achieve precise process conditions.

  In electronic cooling systems, tiny throttle holes are manufactured to optimize the flow distribution of coolant and improve heat dissipation efficiency.

4. Automotive industry:

  Fuel supply system and exhaust gas treatment system of automobile engines, the precision of throttle orifices affects the fuel economy and exhaust emission control effect.

5. Precision instrument manufacturing:

High-precision analytical instruments, such as chromatographs, mass spectrometers, etc., throttle orifices are used to control the flow of samples and carrier gases to ensure the accuracy of analysis results.

In the case of high requirements on the quality and precision of throttle hole processing, femtosecond laser processing is a very effective choice.