Rolls-royce Corporation

Anthony J Griffith

David Stroud

Paul Burt

Andrew P Green

Owen Gregory

Laser welding apparatus, in which a laser beam is impinged upon a component to be welded at a laser beam impingement point, wherein a plasma suppressor is arranged to impinge a jet of gas on the component at an angle to its surface, flowing towards the laser beam impingement point.

Method and apparatus for laser welding with plasma suppression

Small cooling holes, e.g. 0.25-0.9 mm diameter, in cast hollow turbine blades are provided by delivering successive pulses of laser energy to the surface of the blade until penetration of the blade is complete. By leaving the ceramic casting core in situ within the blade during drilling, the laser beam is prevented from striking through to the far wall of the cavity defined by the ceramic core within the blade. The ceramic core is subsequently removed by leaching techniques common to the art.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Anthony J Griffith