How Our Clients Use LMJ Systems
With its customized solutions, Synova helps companies to be one step ahead of the competition.
Take a look at the case studies below to get a detailed insight of customer applications in the following industries:
Energy and Aviation, Tool Manufacturing, Diamonds and Jewelry, Watchmaking, Medical, Semiconductors and Photovoltaics, Other Micro-Machining Applications
Energy and Aviation
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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LMJ was used to drill Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) shrouds - a gentle, precise, and high-volume processing for an exigent aero application. | Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) | Drilling | Processing of CMC Shrouds |
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LMJ was used to process aero-engine components. Drilling, milling and cutting of up to a few mm thickness is possible. |
Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) |
Drilling |
Processing of Aero-Engine Components |
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LMJ was used to drill cooling holes in turbine blades in coated superalloy. Chipping or micro cracking of the coating can be avoided thanks to this gentle process. | Coated Superalloy | Drilling | Drilling of Turbine Blades |
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High-speed drilling of shaped holes in blades and vanes with LMJ for industrial gas turbines without thermal stress and minimal recast resulting in a high quality surface finish. | Alloys | Drilling Shaping |
High-Speed Drilling of Shaped Holes |
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Drilling of industrial gas turnine blades by avoiding heat related problems and maintaining high productivity by the use of LMJ. | Alloys | Drilling Shaping |
Drilling of Gas Turbine Blades |
Tool Manufacturing
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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When cutting CBN blanks with LMJ the result exceeds the quality of dry laser cutting as heat damages and rough edges are avoided. | Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) | Cutting | Cutting of CBN Blanks without Heat Damage |
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Fabricating top quality discs made of Binderless Polycrystalline Diamond with LMJ is less time- and tool-consuming than with conventional methods such as grinding. | Binderless Polycrystalline Diamond (BLPCD) | Cutting | Cutting of Binderless Polycrystalline Diamond |
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When using LMJ to cut diamond tool inserts 99% of the diamond material can be removed at high speed before a final polishing step. | HPHT Diamond | Pre-Cutting | Pre-Cutting of Tool Inserts |
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Cutting PCD and CBN tools without micro cracks, HAZ, or oxidation is possible with LMJ. The perfect verticality, narrow tolerances, low roughness, and sharp edges are convincing. | Tungsten Carbide Substrate |
Finishing | Cutting PCD and CBN Tools |
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LMJ's higher quality 3D machining of inserts and complex multi-tip tools enables new applications with better operating cost. | Tungsten Carbide | Cutting | Super Hard Tool Making |
Diamonds and Jewelry
Cutting of Large Diamonds:
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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The Graff Lasedi La Rona is the largest highest color, highest clarity diamond ever certified by the GIA. Thanks to parallel cutting with LMJ the weight loss is minimal. |
Natural Diamond | Cutting | The Graff Lasedi La Rona |
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The 342-carat rough diamond has resulted in a set of 23 diamonds, the Garden of Kalahari. Highest precision could be achieved thanks to LMJ. |
Natural Diamond | Cutting | The Queen of Kalahari |
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The 813-carat Constellation Diamond is the most expensive rough diamond in the world. The resulting 313-carat ‘Constellation One’ is the largest D color emerald cut diamond ever. |
Natural Diamond | Cutting | |
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This expensive and valuable diamond has been cut to perfection. LMJ ensures minimal weight loss thanks to parallel cutting. |
Natural Diamond | Cutting | 143.45 Carat Diamond |
Cutting for Jewellery Industry:
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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To link the diamond with the other jewellery part, a hole-drilling process might be required. With Syonova's LMJ the drilled holes are fully straight, no V-shape, no chipping at the hole entry and exit. |
Natural Diamond | Hole-Drilling | Hole Drilling for Jewellery |
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The LMJ is advantageously for fancy bruting due the its perfect cut at the outline of the diamond to create the shape profile. Less post-processing is required. |
Natural Diamond | Bruting | Fancy Bruting |
Cutting of Lab Grown Diamonds:
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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The aim is to obtain a maximum number of slices from the CVD crystal. Cutting with a constant parallel kerf and without tapering with LMJ ensures a higher yield. |
CVD Crystal | Slicing | Slicing of a CVD Crystal |
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The goal is to get a maximum number of slices out of the HPHT crystal and to cut variable thicknesses ranging up to 12 mm. |
HPHT Crystal | Slicing | Slicing of a HPHT Diamond |
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Replacing the long-serving dry laser slicing process with LMJ improved yield, straightness, smoothness, cracks, and throughput in coring and slicing CVD crystals. |
CVD Crystal | Coring Slicing |
Coring and Slicing of a CVD Crystal |
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The use of LMJ ensures a high quality coring and slicing process of CVD crystals and smooth surfaces as well as low roughness what requires minimal post treatments. | CVD Crystal |
Coring |
Coring for Graphite Removal |
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The LMJ is used for cutting components with free froms of (almost) any geometry with high accuracy requirements (± 5 μm) from CVD crystals. | CVD Crystal |
Coring |
Lab Grown Diamond Material for Industry |
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The challenge was to slice large CVDcrystals of up to 25 mm from a single direction and along the largest thickness, with a high quality. | CVD Crystal | Coring Slicing |
CVD Seed Slicing |
Watchmaking
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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With very short warm-up and set-up times LMJ is a flexible and stable tool to cut watch components, no matter if it's for production or prototyping. |
Gold | Cutting | Cutting of Watch Components for Luxury Watches |
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The LMJ is used to cut oscillating monolithic parts with complex shapes without deformation or heat affected zone but with the capacity to cut very thin bridges. |
Steel Copper |
Cutting | Cutting of Oscillating Parts |
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The LMJ is used to cut large series of up to 2mm thick decorative watch components for luxury watches. |
Brass Steel Gold |
Cutting Drilling |
Cutting of Watch Dials and Markers |
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The LMJ is used for micromachining of high-tech parts reaching top quality/tolerances and better return on investment. |
Metal Ceramic |
Cutting Drilling |
Micro-Machining of High-Tech Parts |
Medical
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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The silicon blades for the first single-use, safety engineered surgical knife designed for use in cutting corneal tissue were cut with Synova's LMJ. |
Silicon | Cutting | Cutting of Silicon Blades |
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LMJ was the perfect choice to receive a controlled/homogeneous roughness, narrow tolerances, no HAZ, and no reduction in strength cut cardiovasculaire stents. |
Nitinol | Cutting | Cutting of Nitinol Stents |
Semiconductors and Photovoltaics
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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The LMJ is used for gentle, precise, and fast processing for large inline production of power semiconductor devices. Low contamination of the workpiece is crucial. | Silicon | Cutting | Downsizing of Silicon Wafers |
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The LMJ is used for hexagonal square or circular dies singulation for PressFIT Diodes and achieves a much better edge quality compared to grinding. | Silicon with gold coating | Cutting | Singulation of Silicon Wafers |
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With LMJ, it was possible to establish a repeatabel, high-speed process for singulating substrates without damaging the adjacent circuitry. |
Ceramic | Dicing | Dicing of Ceramic Circuits |
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The LMJ is used for wafer dicing and device singulation. One of the advantages compared to a standard dicing saw is the elimination of the high operational costs for blades. |
Advanced Materials such as GaN |
Dicing Singulation |
Wafer Dicing |
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Drilling of via holes in ceramic substrates of thin film circuits with LMJ eliminates the hole-cleaning step and reduces cost of ownership versus CO2 lasers. | Metal Deposition Photolithography | Drilling | Drilling of Holes in Ceramic Substrates |
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LMJ is the perfect choice to cut silicon carbide which is a challenging material to cut because of its hardness and brittleness. In this case it is used for IGTB Power Chips. | Silicon Carbide |
Edge Grinding |
Cutting of IGTB Power Chips |
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LMJ is used to trim edges of CMOS image sensors and proves superiority over EDM by significantly higher quality. |
Silicon | Edge Trimming Downsizig |
Edge Trimming of CMOS Image Sensors |
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Silicon frames are very brittle and request a gentle processing technology without any micro cracks and chipping. LMJ reaches high accuracy, straight walls, low roughness and is highly flexible. |
Silicon | Cutting | Complementary Metal Oxide |
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Thin wafers are challenging to manipulate and to process due to the high flexibility and fragility. With LMJ the perfect TAIKO ring removal becomes possible. |
Silicon | Cutting | Taiko Ring Removal |
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LMJ was chosen to dice these highly sensitive platinum-iridium detectors in the form of microchips because it has several advantages over blade sawing. |
Platinum-Iridium |
Dicing |
Cutting of Platinum-Iridium |
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MJ is used to downsize 450mm silicon semiconductor wafers to 300mm and 200mm wafers, without any impact on the material. |
Silicon | Downsizing | Chamfer Cutting |
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LED chips and packages are made of materials that are frequently difficult to cut mechanically. With LMJ one has high flexibility regarding materials and shapes. | Indium Gallium Nitride | Cutting | Cutting of LED Chips |
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LMJ is used for micro-machining semiconductor reactor sub-assembly parts with tight tolerances on thick, hard materials in contact with reactive gas. |
Silicon |
Drilling |
Other Micro-Machining Applications
Product | Challenge | Material | Process | Case Study ![]() |
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LMJ is used for micro-machining of high-tech components for the watch, medtech, space and defense industry. It is the perfect tool for flexible, stable and heat damage-free processes. |
Various | Micro-Machining | High-Tech Parts |
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Synova's LMJ is used for prototyping, cutting and drilling of highly demanding shaver caps. It meets all requirements such as damage-free, vertical, and precise processing. |
Stainless Steel |
Prototyping |
Shaver Caps |
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LMJ is used for prototyping on CuBe as well as damage-free cutting and drilling. Compared to stamping LMJ has a higher flexibility for lower production volumes and no deburring is needed. | CuBe |
Prototyping |
CuBe |
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LMJ is the flexible and stable tool for heat damage-free processing of high-tech components for the medtech and micro-machining industry. |
Various | Prototyping Cutting Drilling |
High-Tech Components |
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The main challenge to cut platinum electrodes is to reach to the electrode which is welded more than 20mm deep in a cylinder. Processing with LMJ is much faster than with EDM. |
Platinum | Cutting | Cutting of Platinum Electrodes |
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LMJ is used to cut difficult-to-machine metal alloys for electrical components reaching high edge quality and accuracy. |
Metal Alloys | Cutting | Cutting of Electrical Components |
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LMJ is used to cut and drill thin nickel masks, so called shadow mask patterning. Nickel foils are challenging to cut/ablate due to the large size and low thickness. |
Nickel Foils | Cutting Drilling |
Shadow Mask Patterning |
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Synova's LCS 800 was used for job shop of high precision parts. In this case, throughput and flexibility increased while quality remained the same as with etching and electroforming. |
Metal | Cutting | Cutting of High-Precision Metal Parts |