Design And Development Of Equipment For Laser Wire Stripping

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Abstract
For more than a year, the Space Division of Rockwell International has been laser-stripping single-conductor, Kapton-insulated wire, such as that used in the Space Shuttle orbiter. To perform this work, the Division designed both bench-model and hand-held laser wire strippers. In this stripping process, an optical-mechanical system first rotates the focus spot around the wire, making a circumferential strip. The focus beam is then translated axially to slit the slug, which can be easily removed by hand. While Kapton is highly absorptive of the 10.6-μm and 1.06-μm laser wavelengths, the nickel coating of the copper wire is highly reflective, and the residual heat input is rapidly conducted away. Thus the integrity of the conductor itself is not compromised.

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