General Electric Company

Abe Denis Darling

Zhaoli Hu

Douglas Anthony Serieno

Shamgar Elijah McDowell

Jonathan Matthew Lomas

William A Zimmerman

Shamgar Elijah Mcdowell

A method for drilling a hole in a component is provided. The method includes directing a confined laser beam of a confined laser drill towards a near wall of the component and sensing a first characteristic of light from the hole in the near wall of the component with a first sensor positioned outside the component. The method also includes sensing a second characteristic of light from the hole in the near wall the component with a second sensor. The second characteristic of light is different from the first characteristic of light. Additionally, the method includes determining a hole progress based on the sensed first characteristic of light and the sensed second characteristic of light.

Method and system for confined laser drilling

This disclosure provides a system, method, and resulting workpiece combining liquid guided laser and electrical discharge machining to create a common feature. The workpiece is positioned in a liquid guided laser cutting path and machined by the liquid guided laser device to create an intermediate feature in the workpiece. The work piece is then positioned in an electrical discharge machining (EDM) device so that an electrode of the EDM device is operatively positioned proximate the intermediate feature and machined using the EDM device to modify the intermediate feature in the workpiece to create the finished common feature in the workpiece.

Combined liquid guided laser and electrical discharge machining

A method for drilling a hole in a component is provided. The method includes directing a confined laser beam of the confined laser drill towards a near wall of the component and sensing a characteristic of light directed along a beam axis of the confined laser beam away from the component with a sensor. The method also includes determining one or more operational conditions based on the characteristic of the light sensed with the sensor. The one or more operational conditions includes at least one of a depth of the hole being drilled by the confined laser drill and a material into which the confined laser beam of the confined laser drill is being directed. Such a method may allow for more appropriate control of the confined laser drill.

A head assembly for a liquid jet guided laser system is disclosed having a coupling unit removably disposed to a laser focus optic module of the laser system. The coupling unit has a nozzle assembly removably connected to the coupling unit. The nozzle assembly has a liquid jet nozzle and a nozzle cap. The nozzle cap has a plurality of axial assist gas conduits and static assist gas conduits in fluid communication with an assist gas source extending through the nozzle cap body to individually transport assist gas to axial exit ports and static exit ports positioned to exhaust assist gas proximate the liquid jet. At least a portion of the plurality of axial assist gas conduits are partitioned from fluid communication with the liquid jet hole. A lateral movement assembly can be configured between the laser focus optic module and coupling unit.

Decoupled liquid-jet guided laser nozzle cap

A method for repairing one or more holes in a near wall of a component is provided. The method includes determining updated hole information, including an updated location, of a first hole in the near wall of the component. The method also includes directing a confined laser beam of the confined laser drill towards the near wall of the component at the updated location of the first hole to drill through a coating of the component extending over and/or positioned in the first hole. The method also includes sensing a characteristic of light reflected from the updated location of the first hole and determining the confined laser beam of the confined laser drill has drilled through a portion of the coating of the component extending over and/or positioned in the first hole based on the sensed characteristic of light.

Component repair using confined laser drilling

A method for cutting passages in an airfoil using a liquid-jet guided laser beam includes positioning a frustoconical tip of the liquid-jet guided laser at a first X, Y and Z location that is defined with respect to the airfoil and at a first standoff distance of greater than 5 mm and less than 20 mm from an outer surface of the airfoil. The method also includes generating a laser beam confined within a fluid column via the liquid jet guided laser, wherein the laser beam is aimed at the outer surface. The method further includes monitoring for breakthrough of the laser beam through an inner surface of an inner cavity of the airfoil, shutting off the laser beam once breakthrough is detected and repositioning the frustoconical tip at a second X, Y and Z location and at a second standoff distance. A system for cutting a passage in an airfoil is also disclosed herein.

System and method for cutting a passage in an airfoil

A system for forming a cooling hole in an airfoil includes a liquid-jet guided laser. The liquid-jet guided laser generates a laser beam confined within a fluid column. The fluid column/laser beam is directed at an outer surface of the airfoil. The system also includes a purge medium supply that is fluidly coupled to an aperture of the airfoil. The purge medium supply provides a purge medium into an inner cavity of the airfoil. The purge medium flow is oriented to flow in a flow direction that is substantially parallel to an inner surface of the cavity. A cooling hole is formed in the airfoil and extends through the outer surface and penetrates the inner surface of the cavity. A centerline of the cooling hole forms an acute angle with respect to the purge medium flow direction. The system described herein provides a method for manufacturing an airfoil.

System and method for forming a cooling hole in an airfoil

A method for detecting drilling progress in laser drilling is provided. The method includes sensing a process condition during the drilling of an airfoil, and sensing a change in the process condition indicative of a breakthrough of a laser from the laser drill through a near wall of the airfoil. The method additionally includes continuing to sense the process condition subsequent to the sensed change in the process condition to improve the accuracy of the breakthrough detection.

Method and system for detecting drilling progress in laser drilling

A method for manufacturing an airfoil is provided, the method including drilling a hole in a near wall of the airfoil using a laser drill and activating a back strike protection in a cavity of the airfoil. The method additionally includes detecting a breakthrough of a laser from the laser drill through the near wall of the airfoil and subsequently initiating a drilling subroutine, with the drilling subroutine including a continued operation of the laser drill. Such a method may provide for an improved hole, such as a cooling passage, in the airfoil.

Method for drilling a hole in an airfoil

The present disclosure provides a method for determining a hole completing in laser drilling of a hole in a near wall of an airfoil. The method includes drilling a hole in the near wall of the airfoil using a laser drill. The laser drill may move in a pattern relative to the airfoil. The method also includes determining when the drilling of the hole is complete based on a calculated time duration between successive breakthroughs of a laser from the laser drill through the near wall of the airfoil, or based on a calculated time duration since the latest breakthrough of the laser from the laser drill through the near wall of the airfoil.

Growing community of inventors

Laurens, SC, United States of America

Abe Denis Darling