Fraunhofer HHI Develops Nanosecond Laser Process for Space Parts

The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) has developed a procedure using reactive gas-assisted nanosecond laser processing on aluminum alloys to produce a sample electronic box for spacecrafts. The development was made as part of the NanoBLAST project, a project in conjunction with thermal engineering company Azimut Space GmbH for the advanced economic production of thermally highly emissive surface structures.

The nanosecond lasing process is being tested for use in creating electronic boxes for spacecrafts made with aluminum alloys. Courtesy of Fraunhofer HHI.

According to the organization, the development will allow the entire surface of an electronics box to be structured in an economical timeframe. This contrasts to past projects, which used femtosecond laser systems for the same purpose. The researchers are currently working on transferring the laser structuring developed at the institute from laboratory conditions of a flat plate to a real component with curvatures, unevenness, and recesses.