Other

Qqc, Inc.

Manuel C Turchan

Pravin Mistry

Rustum N Roy

Andrzej R Badzian

Shengzhong Liu

William R Drawl

Theresa Badzian

Robert L Bowen

Frank J Manduch

A diamond coating formed on a WC&mdash;Co substrate prepared through a process including employing a plasma and a variety of interactions from a multiple laser system demonstrates exceptional adhesion and indicates a durable cubic diamond structure. The coating on the WC&mdash;Co substrate is typically between 25 and 40 &mgr;m thick and has an average crystal size of between 10 and 20 &mgr;m. Various methods of confirming the cubic diamond structure of the coatings have been employed. The adhesion of the diamond coating to the substrate is very strong. An electron microprobe analysis shows tungsten and cobalt atoms incorporated into the film and a layer depleted in cobalt exists at the diamond-WC&mdash;Co interface. Particulates of WC&mdash;Co&mdash;C alloy are spread over the top surface, apparently formed by condensation from the vapor phase of metal-containing molecules. Carbon is confirmed as being the main component of the surface layer.

Diamond coatings deposited on WC-Co substrate by multiple laser

Energy, such as from one or more lasers, is directed at the surface of a substrate to mobilize and vaporize a constituent element (e.g., carbide) within the substrate (e.g., steel). The vaporized constituent element is reacted by the energy to alter its physical structure (e.g., from carbon to diamond) to that of a composite material which is diffused back into the substrate as a composite material. An additional secondary element, which can be the same as or different from the constituent element, may optionally be directed (e.g., sprayed) onto the substrate to augment, enhance and/or modify the formation of the composite material, as well as to supply sufficient or additional material for fabricating one or more coatings on the surface of the substrate. The process can be carried out in an ambient environment (e.g., without a vacuum), and without pre-heating or post-cooling of the substrate. The process is truly heteroepitaxial, and is suitable for treating substrates of complex geometries, and coating all sides of such substrates either evenly or selectively. The process may also be used as an adjunct to conventional CVD-type processes, to eliminate the need for heating the substrate to high temperatures. Articles formed by the disclosed processes are described, including three-dimensional objects.

Method of coating a silicon or silicide substrate

A method for producing well-crystallized adherent diamond layers on WC&mdash;Co substrates. An array of focused laser beams is scanned across the WC&mdash;Co sample. Useful lasers include the excimer, YAG:Nd, and carbon dioxide types. The process is conducted in open air with carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases delivered for shrouding the substrate. A luminous plasma is found a few mm above the WC&mdash;Co insert. The duration of the deposition process in a typical case is approximately 40 s. This typically gives 20-40 &mgr;m thick coatings. The vertical growth rate is about 1 &mgr;m/s.

Laser approaches for diamond synthesis

The preparation and use of diamond as an electron emission material is disclosed. Satisfactory measurements were conducted on diamond coatings deposited on WC-Co alloy by a multiple pulsed laser process. The electron emission was measured in a diode configuration with a diamond surface-anode spacing of 20 and 50 &mgr;m in vacuum at P&equals;10,Torr. Current densities of 6 mA/cm were calculated at an applied of voltage of 3000 V (for 20 &mgr;m). Analysis proved that electron field emission provided by a diamond grown by a multiple pulsed laser process proved to satisfactorily meet the specified demands.

Application of electron field emission from diamond grown by a multiple pulsed laser process

Solid tungsten carbide is the popular material for these combinations tools. High resultant side forces on the tool during the thread milling phase are caused by relatively high circumferential engagement of the tool and a very low feed per tooth (chip thickness). A combined hole making, threading and chamfering tool with staggered thread cutting teeth doubles chip thickness and reduces side forces (resulting in less engagement), consequently allowing the feed rate to be increased while reducing thread milling time. In addition, this arrangement also reduces tool chatter, thus providing a smoother surface finish in the thread. In one form, the cutting teeth are formed on one or more removable inserts, facilitating replacement or substitution thereof.

Combined hole making, threading, and chamfering tool with staggered

Thermal stresses normally associated with brazing are alleviated by a low temperature brazing technique of the present invention. A low-temperature brazing paste, preferably suitable to be melted at temperatures of no greater than 200.degree. C. (e.g., 100-200.degree. C.), containing nanoscale (.ltoreq.100 nanometer) size particles of gold, cadmium, copper, zinc, tin, lead, silver, silicon, chromium, cobalt, antimony, bismuth, aluminum, iron, magnesium, nitrogen, carbon, boron, and alloys and composites of these materials, is applied as a bead or as a powder spray at the junction of two components desired to be joined together. Energy from a source such as a laser beam (for example a CO.sub.2 laser, an Nd-Yag laser or an excimer laser), flame, arc, plasma, or the like, is 'walked' along the brazing material. The energy beam is sufficient to cause melting and re-crystallization of the nanoscale-particle-containing brazing paste. In an exemplary application of the process, blades (vanes) are brazed to the housing and/or to the shroud of an automatic transmission impeller assembly, preferably using the low-temperature brazing paste containing nanoscale (.ltoreq.100 nanometer) size particles of gold, cadmium, copper and/or zinc, or other suitable nanoscale brazing materials.

Brazing paste

Thermal stresses normally associated with joining are alleviated by a low temperature joining technique of the present invention. A low-temperature joining material is applied (as a paste, or as a powder spray, or as a tape, or as a paint, or as a putty) at the junction of two components desired to be joined together. Energy from a source such as a laser beam (for example an Nd:YAG or a CO.sub.2 laser) or by a flame, arc, plasma, or the like, is either 'walked' along the joining material to react the entire amount of joining material, or the joining material is self-sustaining and simply requires igniting a selected portion of the joining material by the energy source. In an exemplary application of the process, vanes are brazed to the bowl and/or to the shroud of an automatic transmission bowl (impeller or turbine) assembly, preferably using the low-temperature joining material. Systems for delivering the joining material and the energy are described. The fabrication of hollow vanes is described. The fabrication of shroudless bowl components and stator components subsuming the function of the shroud are described.

Methods of joining metal components and resulting articles particularly

A very high speed adiabatic face milling machine whose configuration and operation provide a highly efficient machining process suitable for production manufacturing conditions. The milling machine preferably operates at speeds of approximately 15,000 sfm and at efficiencies of approximately 7 cubic inches per minute per horsepower. The preferred milling operation is conducted without the use of cooling liquids, instead employing a chip removal system which enables the milling machine to operate truly adiabatically such that no heat is transferred to the workpiece or the cutter. The efficiency of the chip removal system is such that chip recutting is nearly eliminated and tool life is improved. The milling machine also includes an improved cutter structure, fixturing, and transfer devices.

Milling system

Energy, such as from three different lasers, is directed at the surface of a substrate to mobilize and vaporize a carbon constituent element (e.g., carbide) within the substrate (e.g., steel). The vaporized constituent element is reacted by the energy to alter its physical structure (e.g., from carbon to diamond) to that of a composite material which is diffused back into the substrate as a composite material. An additional secondary element, which also contains carbon, may optionally be directed (e.g., sprayed) onto the substrate to augment, enhance and/or modify the formation of the composite material, as well as to supply sufficient or additional material for fabricating a diamond or diamond-like coating on the surface of the substrate. The process can be carried out in an ambient environment (e.g., without a vacuum), and without pre-heating or post-cooling of the substrate.

Fabrication of diamond and diamond-like carbon coatings

Parallelism between of two opposite surfaces of a workpiece is assured by referencing off of three features on the edge(s) of the workpiece, the three edge features establishing a single, unique plane within the workpiece for referencing the machining operations performed on the two opposite surfaces of the workpiece. The workpiece is held by corresponding two sets of three fixture points, above the surface of two corresponding fixtures, or of one compound fixture, while machining the two opposite surfaces. In this manner, problems associated with referencing off of the first machined surface, to machine the second surface, are completely avoided. This is particularly useful when machining the opposite faces of an automatic transmission valve body. The one set of fixture points is identical to the other set of fixture points, to ensure accurate positioning of the workpiece from fixture-to-fixture (or from set of fixture points to set of fixture points, in a compound fixture).

Machining opposite surfaces of a workpiece to be parallel to one another

Energy, such as from one or more lasers, is directed at the surface of a substrate to mobilize and vaporize a constituent element (e.g., carbide) within the substrate (e.g., steel). The vaporized constituent element is reacted by the energy to alter its physical structure (e.g., from carbon to diamond) to that of a composite material which is diffused back into the substrate as a composite material. An additional secondary element, which can be the same as or different from the constituent element, may optionally be directed (e.g., sprayed) onto the substrate to augment, enhance and/or modify the formation of the composite material, as well as to supply sufficient or additional material for fabricating one or more coatings on the surface of the substrate. The process can be carried out in an ambient environment (e.g., without a vacuum), and without pre-heating or post-cooling of the substrate. Articles formed by the disclosed processes are described, including three-dimensional objects.

Method of applying, sculpting, and texturing a coating on a substrate

Energy, such as from one or more lasers, is directed at the surface of a substrate to mobilize and vaporize a constituent element (e.g., carbide) within the substrate (e.g., steel). The vaporized constituent element is reacted by the energy to alter its physical structure (e.g., from carbon to diamond) to that of a composite material which is diffused back into the substrate as a composite material. The method of the present invention includes the additional steps of using the energy to move a carbon constituent element in a sub-surface zone of the substrate towards the surface of the substrate, vaporizing selected amounts of the carbon constituent element to produce a vaporized carbon constituent element, reacting the vaporized carbon constituent element to modify its physical structure and properties, reacting the vaporized carbon constituent element to modify its physical structure and properties, and fabricating the diamond coating from the reacted vaporized carbon constituent element.

Method of forming a diamond coating on a polymeric substrate

Method of coating an organic substrate

In very high speed adiabatic face milling machines whose operation provides a highly efficient machining process suitable for production manufacturing conditions, it is essential that appropriate fixturing is utilized to position and support the workpiece in order to induce added rigidity to the workpiece while reliably clamping and dampening each workpiece to enable machining to withstand small flatness tolerances. Accordingly, primary rests are spaced apart relative to one another to ensure that a stable platform is provided for each workpiece. Force inducement devices are strategically positioned along peripheral edges of the workpiece to selectively deflect the workpiece and thereby significantly add rigidity to the workpiece to better withstand the cutting forces associated with the milling operation.

Growing community of inventors

Northville, MI, United States of America

Manuel C Turchan