General Electric Company

Xiangli Chen

Donald E Woodmansee

A method and apparatus for laser drilling an article having a nonmetallic layer. One embodiment of the method includes the steps of generating a pulsed laser beam, a pulse of the pulse laser beam having an energy of less than or equal to 0.1 joule and a pulse width of less than or equal to 500 nanoseconds, directing the pulsed laser beam at the article to vaporize the nonmetallic layer, and directing the pulsed laser beam at the article to vaporize the substrate. The method may be carried out with an apparatus which includes a Nd:YAG laser which produces the pulsed laser beam, the pulsed laser beam having a first frequency component, and a harmonic generator which generates a second frequency component, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency, where the laser beam, after passing through the harmonic generator, is incident on the article to vaporize the nonmetallic layer.

Method and apparatus for laser drilling

An exemplary method of drilling a hole through an article comprises the steps of directing a pulsed laser beam at a first side of the article, wherein a pulse of the pulsed laser beam has an energy of less than or equal to 0.1 joule and a full width half maximum pulse width of less than or equal to 500 nanoseconds, detecting with a detector whether the hole being drilled has extended through to a second side of the article, and interrupting drilling after the hole has extended through to the second side of the article. The method may be carried out with an exemplary drilling apparatus which includes an Nd:YAG laser, a camera to detect when the laser beam has broken through, and a shutter to interrupt drilling before a subsequent pulse begins. Because the energy of each pulse is relatively small, the damage caused by the laser beam to a wall behind the drilled hole is insignificant.

A laser assisted thermal spray process for material spraying of a workpiece utilizes a primary energy source for producing a heating plume and a spray material injector for injecting a spray material comprising a plurality of particles into the heating plume. A deposit of the spray material transported by the heating plume is formed on the workpiece surface. The laser assisted thermal spray a process further utilizes a laser-heating system for irradiating a portion of the spray material and a portion of the targeted workpiece so as to limit incompletely melted particles thereon.

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Niskayuna, NY, United States of America

Xiangli Chen