Applications for these high precision slots and holes include test and calibration samples for crack locating equipment in the nuclear industry and for stress crack analysis in the aerospace industry.
· Very high precision
· Narrow slot widths (down to a few microns)
· High aspect ratio (60:1)
· Cold ablation (minimal heat affected zone)
· Smooth walls
Slots can also be machined on the inside of tubing, or other suitable components, with inside diameter greater than 10mm. Using a combination of linear and rotary stages, both axial and radial slots can be produced.
Values for typical slot dimensions along with aspect ratios and indicating the materials most commonly used in this work:
| Material | Width (mm) | Depth (mm) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tungsten & moly | 4 | 20 | 5 |
| Stainless steel | 12 | 710 | 60 |
| Stainless steel | 20 | 875 | 44 |
| Stainless steel | 65 | 3000 46 | |
| Zircalloy | 110 | 1900 | 17 |
| Zircalloy | 230 | 4200 | 18 |
| Inconell | 18 | 780 | 43 |