The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 16, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 17, 1997
Thurman Dwayne McCay, Winchester, TN (US);
Mary Helen McCay, Winchester, TN (US);
Narendra B Dahotre, Tullahoma, TN (US);
The University of Tennessee Research Corporation, Knoxville, TN (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed toward a process for laser alloying of a workpiece and an apparatus for carrying out said process. The method embodiment of the present invention is directed toward a process for forming an alloy in the surface of a metal substrate comprising the steps of applying an alloy precursor material at a controlled rate to the surface of the substrate and then melting the surface and the precursor alloy material by the application of a laser beam in order to form an alloy of the precursor alloy material and the substrate. The method embodiment of the present invention further comprises the steps of measuring one or more parameters indicative of alloying depth, controlling the rate of precursor application in response to at least one of the measured parameters, and allowing the allow to solidify. Other method embodiments of the present invention are directed towards the measurement of specific parameters indicative of alloying depth, such as workpiece temperate or emission spectra data from the laser/surface interface. Other embodiments of the present invention are directed toward controlling laser beam power in response to a measured parameter.