Laser assisted machining system for ceramics and hard materials

An apparatus for Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) of a finished part from a workpiece mounted in a machining arrangement using a cutter of the machining arrangement for removing material from the workpiece along a cutting path including a cutting zone of the workpiece ahead of the cutter where the cutting zone is heated to a machining temperature by a laser heating arrangement (LHA) operatively disposed for heating the cutting zone to a temperature of the cutting zone, the apparatus comprising:

• a base adapted for attachment to the machining arrangement and defining a central axis extending perpendicularly to the base;
• a radial arm extending radially outward from the base and defining a radial axis extending perpendicularly to and intersecting the central axis of the base;
• a mounting post having a proximal end thereof directly attached to a slidable connection of the radial arm and extending parallel to the central axis of the base, and also defining a mounting post axis extending from the proximal end to a distal end of the mounting post in a direction parallel to the central axis of the base;
• and
• a primary mounting rail having a proximal end thereof attached to the mounting post and extending perpendicularly to the mounting post axis, and also defining a primary mounting rail axis extending from the proximal end to a distal end of the primary mounting rail in a direction perpendicular to the mounting post axis;
• the primary mounting rail being adapted for attachment thereto of one or more components of the laser heating arrangement from a group of laser heating arrangement components consisting of:
• at least one laser and at least one pyrometer arrangement.