A method is provided for in-situ laser shock peening of a three-dimensional printed metal part. The method for IS-LSP of a 3D printed metal part may include the steps of: executing by a processor program code stored in a memory to synchronize 3D printing of a metal part and LSP of the metal part, wherein the synchronizing may include: printing by a 3D printing apparatus a metal layer according to dimensions specified in a 3D printing program, wherein the printing of the metal layer includes depositing one of a metal or alloy wire feed and metal or alloy powder and direct melting layer-by-layer the deposited metal or alloy wire feed or the deposited metal or alloy powder using an electric arc or a laser beam.
B29C 64/153 - Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
B22F 3/16 - Both compacting and sintering in successive or repeated steps
B23K 26/356 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring for surface treatment by shock processing
2.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN-SITU DETECTION OF DAMAGE OCCURRING TO AN OPTICAL FIBER OR AN OPTICAL MIRROR
A detector is provided for in-situ detection of damage to an optical fiber, the detector comprising: a laser light detection circuitry disposed at a terminal end of an optical fiber, the fiber coupled to an operating laser pulse generation system, to perform in-situ detection of damage occurring to the fiber, wherein the circuitry is calibrated to detect an energy level of a portion of optical signals sampled from generated laser pulses propagated in the fiber, wherein the circuitry converts the energy of the detected optical signals into electrical signals for processing to monitor a level of the optical signals to indicate normal operational integrity in the fiber or an occurrence of damage to the fiber according to a change in the energy level of the detected optical signals, and outputs a binary signal to a controller to shut off the system within a defined response time if damage is detected.
A method is provided for laser peening the surface of an oxide- or corrosion-susceptible material, the method comprising: providing the material; applying a flow of a transparent overlay comprising a corrosion inhibitor solution to the surface of the material; and delivering a laser beam through the flow of transparent overlay to the surface of the material. In one aspect, the laser peening induces a residual stress magnitude in the surface of the material at a given depth that is within at least 20% of the residual stress magnitude at a given depth where the transparent overlay consists of water. Systems are provided for carrying out the method. In one aspect, the method is characterized by the absence of a requirement for post-processing steps to the manufacturing process, such as post-treatment with an anti-corrosive, a rust-inhibitor, or a drying station.
C21D 10/00 - Modifying the physical properties by methods other than heat treatment or deformation
B23K 26/00 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
B64F 5/00 - Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided forHandling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
4.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USE IN LASER SHOCK PEENING AND LASER BOND INSPECTION PROCESS
A laser system includes an integrated fiber laser front-end, configured to generate and output a pre-amplified first pulsed laser beam having predefined beam characteristics corresponding to a user defined pulse shape and a user defined pulse width setting selection of a controller. The first pulsed laser beam is generated from a master oscillator which outputs a CW laser beam to a temporal pulse shaper, which modulates the CW laser beam to output the first pulsed laser beam in response to an electrical pulse from an arbitrary wave generator and a DC bias voltage from an automatic modulator bias control circuitry. The first pulsed laser beam is pre-amplified to an output pulsed laser beam for laser peening or laser bond inspection. A beam detector is used to monitor beam characteristics, and to generate an error signal to be sent back as a feedback signal to the controller for adjustments and corrections.
B23K 26/00 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
B23K 26/06 - Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing
B23K 26/0622 - Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing by direct control of the laser beam by shaping pulses
B23K 26/356 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring for surface treatment by shock processing
H01S 3/10 - Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
An apparatus for directing a laser beam to a workpiece surface includes a housing having a laser beam exit aperture. The apparatus further includes an output optical device configured to emit a converging laser beam. The converging laser beam is centered on an axis and is directed outward from the housing through the exit aperture toward a workpiece surface. A water nozzle outlet is arranged to discharge a stream of overlay water toward the workpiece surface. An air nozzle outlet is arranged to discharge a stream of air in a direction transverse to the axis at a location axially between the water nozzle and the exit aperture.
B23K 26/146 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor the fluid stream containing a liquid
B23K 26/142 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor for the removal of by-products
An apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: (i) a diode-pumped solid-state laser oscillator configured to generate a pulsed laser beam having predefined beam characteristics corresponding to a current setting selection of a controller; and (ii) an amplifier configured to amplify an energy and modify a beam profile of the pulse laser beam. A beam detector is coupled to the generated beam to monitor a combination of: (i) a beam pulse width; (ii) a beam diameter; and (iii) an energy level, and generates an error signal to be sent back as a feedback signal to the controller. The controller configures the current source to output a correction current to tune the DP SSL oscillator, the wave plate, and the first polarizer to rotate a correction polarization angle and adjust the energy amplification or temporal profile to within a defined performance tolerance.
A laser system includes an integrated fiber laser front-end, configured to generate and output a pre-amplified first pulsed laser beam having predefined beam characteristics corresponding to a user defined pulse shape and a user defined pulse width setting selection of a controller. The first pulsed laser beam is generated from a master oscillator which outputs a CW laser beam to a temporal pulse shaper, which modulates the CW laser beam to output the first pulsed laser beam in response to an electrical pulse from an arbitrary wave generator and a DC bias voltage from an automatic modulator bias control circuitry. The first pulsed laser beam is pre-amplified to an output pulsed laser beam for laser peening or laser bond inspection. A beam detector is used to monitor beam characteristics, and to generate an error signal to be sent back as a feedback signal to the controller for adjustments and corrections.
Systems, methods and device provided for combining or splitting laser beams, including a plurality of optical fibers for providing laser beams, an image relay lens for each of the plurality of optical fibers, positioning a prism beam combiner or splitter after the image relay lenses for combining or splitting the laser beams. According to another aspect, the a prism beam combiner or splitter may include a flattened tip to transmit a portion of an input laser beam, a position sensitive detector to receive the transmitted portion of the input laser beam to track a beam axis motion and provide feedback alignment error signals based on the beam axis motion, and a driver to receive the feedback alignment error signals and to drive a motor or piezo actuated beam steering mirror based on the feedback alignment error signals, wherein a laser bond inspection method implements the described systems and methods.
G01N 19/04 - Measuring adhesive force between materials, e.g. of sealing tape, of coating
G02B 6/42 - Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
G02B 6/08 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings formed by bundles of fibres the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images with fibre bundle in form of plate
A laser shock peening apparatus is provided for use with a workpiece having a cavity. The apparatus includes a tubular body configured for insertion longitudinally inward of the cavity. The tubular body has a peripheral wall bounding a laser delivery channel, and has an aperture reaching outward from the laser delivery channel through the peripheral wall. An optical device is located in the laser delivery channel. The optical device is configured to direct a laser beam outward through the aperture. Additionally, the peripheral wall has internal surfaces defining a water delivery channel configured to convey a stream of overlay water to the aperture.
A laser shock peening apparatus is provided for use with a workpiece having a cavity. The apparatus includes a tubular body configured for insertion longitudinally inward of the cavity. The tubular body has a peripheral wall bounding a laser delivery channel, and has an aperture reaching outward from the laser delivery channel through the peripheral wall. An optical device is located in the laser delivery channel. The optical device is configured to direct a laser beam outward through the aperture. Additionally, the peripheral wall has internal surfaces defining a water delivery channel configured to convey a stream of overlay water to the aperture.
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the protection of optical components used during laser bond inspection. In one embodiment, an optic surface wetting enhancement is provided on a protective optic to assist in forming a substantially flat film of transparent liquid from transparent liquid applied to a surface of a protective optic. A flat film of transparent liquid on a surface of a protective optic may be used to retain debris and effluent backscatter produced during a laser bond inspection process.
G02B 27/00 - Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups ,
B23K 26/142 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor for the removal of by-products
B23K 26/146 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor the fluid stream containing a liquid
An apparatus may include a diode-pumped solid-state laser oscillator configured to output a pulsed laser beam, a modulator configured to modify an energy and a temporal profile of the pulsed laser beam, and an amplifier configured to amplify an energy of the pulse laser beam. A modified and amplified beam to laser peen a target part may have an energy of about 5 J to about 10 J, an average power (defined as energy (J) x frequency (Hz)) of from about 25 W to about 200 W, with a flattop beam uniformity of less than about 0.2. The diode-pumped solid-state oscillator may be configured to output a beam having both a single longitudinal mode and a single transverse mode, and to produce and output beams at a frequency of about 20 Hz.
B23K 26/06 - Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing
B23K 26/00 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
H01S 3/10 - Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
17.
Protection of laser bond inspection optical components
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the protection of optical components used during laser bond inspection. In one embodiment, an optic surface wetting enhancement is provided on a protective optic to assist in forming a substantially flat film of transparent liquid from transparent liquid applied to a surface of a protective optic. A flat film of transparent liquid on a surface of a protective optic may be used to retain debris and effluent backscatter produced during a laser bond inspection process.
G01N 19/04 - Measuring adhesive force between materials, e.g. of sealing tape, of coating
B23K 26/142 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor for the removal of by-products
B23K 26/16 - Removal of by-products, e.g. particles or vapours produced during treatment of a workpiece
G02B 1/18 - Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films
B23K 26/146 - Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beamNozzles therefor the fluid stream containing a liquid
G01N 21/84 - Systems specially adapted for particular applications
18.
Laser bond inspection with compact surface motion sensor
G01L 1/24 - Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring variations of optical properties of material when it is stressed, e.g. by photoelastic stress analysis
G01B 11/16 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. optical strain gauge
G01N 3/06 - Special adaptations of indicating or recording means
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for laser peening hidden surfaces. In one embodiment, a laser processing pen is provided, the laser processing pen comprising: an elongated member, comprising: a laser pulse entry portion; a laser pulse exit portion, wherein the laser pulse exit portion includes at least one optical lens; and at least one tape guide capable of channeling at least a non-adhesive tape overlay in proximity of the laser pulse exit portion.
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for generation of focused stress waves that selectively apply tensile stress to local regions of a bonded article.
A laser shock processing treatment enables a selectively adjustable and customized compressive residual stress distribution profile to be developed within a workpiece by tailoring the size and shape of the laser beam spots. One peening operation applies to the workpiece a first pattern having relatively large laser beam spots and then applies a second pattern having relatively small laser beam spots. The composite use of such small and large beam spots enables the stress distribution profile to be tailored to the part specifications. The large beam spots maximize the depth of compressive residual stress in the part, while the small beam spots optimize the surface compressive residual stresses of the part. The use of small spot beam patterns allows untreated or improperly processed areas to be laser peened.
