Laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grid

Abstract

The laser cutting processing method of the metal electrothermal grid provided by the application uses an ultrathin stainless steel foil as a material, uses two movable pressing plates to press on the stainless steel foil, the hollowed-out parts of the two movable pressing plates are in complementary relationship, when the two movable pressing plates are stacked and the geometric centers of the two movable pressing plates are overlapped, a complete pressing plate without openings and gaps is formed, a laser beam is used to cut the metal foil exposed from the exposed area according to a predetermined electrothermal grid shape, and the waste area is fragmented, then a magnetic adsorber is used to adsorb the waste, then the movable pressing plate is replaced to cut the remaining area, after cutting, the waste is also adsorbed by using a magnet, and a resin insulating film is attached to both sides of the electrothermal grid to form an electrothermal grid film, the method is simple in process, has no negative impact on the environment, can use an ultrathin stainless steel foil as a raw material, the prepared electrothermal grid is relatively thin in thickness, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric heating anti-icing technology, and in particular to a laser cutting method for metal electric heating grids. Background Technology

[0002] Icing on helicopter rotors, aircraft wings, and other parts can alter their flatness, shape, and aerodynamic layout, resulting in reduced lift, increased vibration, and other serious consequences that endanger flight safety. With the increasing electrification of aircraft and the use of composite materials in wings, electric heating anti-icing / de-icing technology has gradually become one of the mainstream methods for anti-icing and de-icing helicopter rotors and aircraft wings. It prevents icing by continuously or intermittently heating heating elements embedded in the helicopter rotor blades or aircraft wings through a control system. In electric heating anti-icing / de-icing systems, heating elements are an important component, and their structures are diverse. Mesh-structured heating elements (metal electric heating grids) have many advantages, such as good conformability, good adhesion interface with the insulation layer, uniform heating surface, and easy control of the layup process. Most importantly, even if local damage occurs in this multi-point structure, it will not cause the overall function of the heating grid to fail.

[0003] Currently, metal electric heating grids are mainly made by weaving. Metal wires are used as raw materials, and the warp and weft threads of the electric heating grid are laid out. Then, the intersections between the electric heating wires, the intersections between the electric heating wires and the boundary, and the overlaps between the electric heating wires and the lead plate are connected by welding or bonding to form the electric heating grid. The disadvantages of this method are that the thickness and width of the wires in the electrothermal grid are limited by the raw material of the metal wire, such as the diameter often being ≥0.1mm; bonding treatment is required at the overlap of the metal wires, which affects reliability; the line width cannot be actively designed, resulting in low automation; for example, Chinese patent CN114828311A discloses "A laser-assisted preparation method for electrothermal grid thin film suitable for composite material components". This technical solution proposes an improved method for preparing electrothermal grid thin film using laser assistance, which lays the metal electrothermal wires using 3D printing and then uses laser welding to connect the warp and weft overlaps, effectively reducing the thickness of the electrothermal grid (to the thickness of one metal electrothermal wire), improving the bonding strength at the warp and weft bonding points, and improving the automation of the manufacturing process. However, this solution still uses electrothermal wire as the raw material, and it cannot actively design the line width as needed. Further reducing the thickness of the electrothermal grid and improving its flexible conformal ability also faces bottlenecks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the main objective of this invention is to provide a laser cutting method for metal electrothermal meshes, thereby solving the technical difficulties of existing electrothermal mesh manufacturing methods, such as poor environmental friendliness, complex process steps, low automation, and low production efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids, comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1. Make the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate. Both the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate are hollow structures. At the same time, prepare stainless steel foil sheets of the corresponding size as raw materials for processing.

[0007] S2. Place the stainless steel foil on the substrate, and place the first pressure plate on the stainless steel foil to apply pressure so that the first pressure plate, the stainless steel foil, and the substrate do not undergo relative displacement during subsequent processing.

[0008] S3. The exposed area on the stainless steel foil is the processing area. Combined with the final required shape of the electric heating grid, the processing area is cut along the electric heating grid line to form a waste area. At the same time, the waste area is fragmented and cut to form waste fragments.

[0009] S4. Remove the waste from the waste area;

[0010] S5. Remove the first pressure plate and place the second pressure plate on the partially cut stainless steel foil, ensuring that the second pressure plate, stainless steel foil, and substrate do not shift relative to each other during subsequent processing. ；

[0011] S6. Repeat steps S3 and S4 to perform secondary laser cutting on the stainless steel foil and remove the waste.

[0012] S7. After all the cutting tasks are completed, the second pressure plate is removed. At this time, the stainless steel foil placed on the substrate has been processed into the final required electric heating grid shape.

[0013] The hollowed-out portions of the first and second pressure plates are complementary. When the first and second pressure plates are stacked and their geometric centers overlap, a complete pressure plate without openings or gaps will be formed.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first and second pressure plates are designed and manufactured according to the final required size of the electrothermal grid.

[0015] In some embodiments, both the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate include an exposed area and a covered area, wherein the exposed area when the first pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil is the covered area when the second pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil, and the covered area when the first pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil is the exposed area when the second pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil.

[0016] In some embodiments, the exposed and covered areas of the first and second pressure plates are arranged in parallel at intervals to form a hollow structure.

[0017] In some embodiments, in steps S4 and S6, a magnetic adsorber is moved above the processing area and the magnetic field is used to remove the waste fragments in each area.

[0018] In some embodiments, in steps S3 and S6, the laser beam scanning system, combined with the final desired shape of the electrothermal grid, is used to cut along the exposed electrothermal grid within the processing area.

[0019] The present invention also provides a metal electrothermal grid, which is prepared by the laser cutting process of the metal electrothermal grid described above.

[0020] The metal electrothermal grid includes a first lead-in strip and a second lead-in strip, and the first lead-in strip and the second lead-in strip are respectively provided with a first lead-in wire and a second lead-in wire.

[0021] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a metal electrothermal mesh thin film, comprising the following steps:

[0022] T1. A first insulating film is attached to the metal electric heating grid processed by the laser cutting method of the metal electric heating grid as described above. After attaching, the grid is flipped over, and a first lead wire and a second lead wire are placed on the first lead wire and the second lead wire of the metal electric heating grid.

[0023] T2. Next, a second insulating film is applied to form a metal electrothermal mesh film.

[0024] The present invention further provides a metal electrothermal mesh film, which is prepared by the metal electrothermal mesh film preparation method described above. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate structure shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stainless steel foil and the first pressure plate shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 The diagram and enlarged view of the laser cutting process shown in the embodiment of the present invention are as follows;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram and a partially enlarged view of the waste removal process shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a semi-finished electrothermal mesh after one cutting, as shown in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the stainless steel foil and the second pressure plate structure shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the laser cutting process for a metal electrothermal grid according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal electrothermal grid prepared according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the preparation method of the metal electrothermal mesh thin film according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal electrothermal mesh thin film shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] in:

[0037] 1-Substrate;

[0038] 2- Stainless steel foil;

[0039] 3-First pressure plate;

[0040] 31 - Exposed area;

[0041] 32 - Covered area;

[0042] 4-Second pressure plate;

[0043] 5-Laser scanning system;

[0044] 6-Waste fragments;

[0045] 7-Magnetic Adsorber;

[0046] 8-Electrical heating grid;

[0047] 81-First lead band;

[0048] 811 - First lead wire;

[0049] 82 Second lead band;

[0050] 821 - Second lead wire;

[0051] 9 - First insulating film;

[0052] 10 - Second insulating film. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments to further understand the purpose, solution and effect of the present invention, but it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the appended claims.

[0054] Certain terms are used in this specification and the following claims to refer to specific components or parts. Those skilled in the art will understand that users or manufacturers may use different names or terms to refer to the same component or part. This specification and the following claims do not distinguish components or parts by differences in name, but rather by differences in function. The terms "comprising" and "including" used throughout this specification and the following claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". Furthermore, the term "connection" here includes any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Indirect electrical connection means include connections made through other means.

[0055] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "lateral", "longitudinal", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and "about", or "approximately", "substantially", "left and right", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship or parameters, are all based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, a specific size, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0056] See Figure 1-10 An embodiment of the present invention provides a laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids, comprising the following steps:

[0057] S1. Design and manufacture the first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 according to the final required size of the electric heating grid. The first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 are both hollow structures. At the same time, prepare stainless steel foil sheets 2 of the corresponding size as raw materials for processing. The hollow parts of the first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 are complementary. When the first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 are stacked and their geometric centers overlap, a complete pressure plate without openings or gaps will be formed.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, both the first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 include an exposed area 31 and a covered area 32. The exposed area 31 when the first pressure plate 3 covers the stainless steel foil 2 is the covered area 32 when the second pressure plate 4 covers the stainless steel foil 2, and the covered area 32 when the first pressure plate 3 covers the stainless steel foil 2 is the exposed area 31 when the second pressure plate 4 covers the stainless steel foil 2.

[0059] S2. Place the stainless steel foil 2 on the substrate 1, and place the first pressure plate 3 on the stainless steel foil 2 to apply a pressing force so that the first pressure plate 3, the stainless steel foil 2, and the substrate 1 do not undergo relative displacement during subsequent processing. In this embodiment, the substrate can be a ceramic heat-resistant substrate.

[0060] S3. The exposed area on the stainless steel foil 2 is the processing area. Combined with the final required shape of the electric heating grid, the laser scanning system 5 is controlled to cut along the electric heating grid line in the processing area to form a waste area. At the same time, the waste area is fragmented and cut to form waste fragments 6.

[0061] S4. The magnetic adsorber 7 is moved above all processing areas, and the magnetic field is used to remove the waste fragments 6 in each processing area (i.e., waste area); the electric heating grid line is integrally connected, so it can remain on the substrate.

[0062] In this embodiment, after the laser scanning system controls the cutting laser beam to scan along the cutting path, the area of ​​the target electrothermal grid remains intact; at the same time, the waste area is also cut into a shape of appropriate size, and all the waste to be removed is no longer attached to the original electrothermal stainless steel foil, so that the waste can be removed using a magnetic adsorbent.

[0063] S5. Remove the first pressure plate 4, place the second pressure plate 4 on the partially cut stainless steel foil 2, and apply pressure to ensure that the second pressure plate 4, stainless steel foil 2, and substrate 1 do not shift relative to each other during subsequent processing. ； At this time, the area covered by the second pressure plate 4 is exactly the area that the first pressure plate 4 failed to cover. That is, the area not covered by the second pressure plate 4 is an uncut, complete electric heating stainless steel foil sheet.

[0064] S6. Repeat steps S3 and S4 to further perform secondary laser cutting on the stainless steel foil 2 and use the magnetic adsorber 7 to remove the waste fragments 6 in the processing area.

[0065] S7. After all the cutting tasks are completed, the second pressure plate 4 is removed. At this time, the stainless steel foil 2 placed on the substrate 1 has been processed into the final required electric heating grid 8 shape.

[0066] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the exposed and covered areas of the first and second pressure plates are arranged in parallel and spaced apart to form a hollow structure. For example, the exposed area can be a strip hole, but the shape of the exposed and covered areas is not limited to parallel shapes. As long as the hollow parts of the first and second pressure plates are complementary, when the first and second pressure plates are stacked and their geometric centers overlap, a complete pressure plate without openings or gaps will be formed.

[0067] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a metal electrothermal grid, which is manufactured by laser cutting processing method of metal electrothermal grid as described in the above embodiment. The metal electrothermal grid 8 includes a first lead strip 81 and a second lead strip 82, and the first lead strip 81 and the second lead strip 82 are respectively provided with a first lead wire 811 and a second lead wire 821.

[0068] See Figure 9 Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparing a metal electrothermal mesh thin film, comprising the following steps:

[0069] T1. A first insulating film 9 is attached to the metal electric heating grid 8 processed by the laser cutting processing method of the metal electric heating grid as described in the above embodiment. After attaching, the grid is flipped over, and a first lead wire 811 and a second lead wire 821 are placed on the first lead wire 81 and the second lead wire 82 of the metal electric heating grid.

[0070] T2. Next, the second insulating film 10 is applied to form a metal electrothermal grid film. In this embodiment, the first insulating film 9 and the second insulating film 10 are resin films, which play the role of insulation and heat transfer.

[0071] In this embodiment, when using the electric heating function, the first lead wire 811 and the second lead wire 821 are respectively connected to the heating power supply.

[0072] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a metal electrothermal mesh film, which is prepared by the metal electrothermal mesh film preparation method described in the above embodiment.

[0073] If ultra-thin stainless steel foil with a thickness between tens and hundreds of micrometers is used as the raw material for manufacturing electrothermal grids, the thickness of the electrothermal grids can be significantly reduced, the flexibility and conformability can be improved, and the line width of the electrothermal grids can be actively designed according to actual needs. This invention proposes a laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids, which is particularly suitable for the integral manufacturing of electrothermal grids.

[0074] The laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids provided in this invention uses ultra-thin stainless steel foil as the material. Two movable pressure plates are used to press the stainless steel foil. The hollow parts of the two movable pressure plates are complementary. When the two movable pressure plates are stacked and their geometric centers overlap, a complete pressure plate without openings or gaps is formed. A laser beam is used to cut the metal foil exposed from the exposed area according to the predetermined electrothermal grid shape, and the waste area is fragmented. Then, a magnetic adsorption device is used to remove the waste. Subsequently, the movable pressure plates are replaced to cut the remaining area. After cutting, a magnet is used to remove the waste. A resin insulating film is applied to both sides of the electrothermal grid to form an electrothermal grid film.

[0075] The cutting method provided by this invention is simple in process, has no negative impact on the environment, and can use ultra-thin stainless steel foil as raw material to produce a thin electrothermal grid. After the electrothermal grid is cut, a resin insulating film can be applied in situ without transferring the electrothermal grid, simplifying the process. It offers high flexibility, automates the removal of processing waste, greatly improves production efficiency, and is suitable for single-piece, small-batch, and large-batch production. It can produce electrothermal grid films with good flatness, thinness, and different linewidths.

[0076] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments for application in other fields. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser cutting method for a metal electrothermal grid, characterized in that: The steps include the following: S1. Make the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate. Both the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate are hollow structures. At the same time, prepare stainless steel foil sheets of the corresponding size as raw materials for processing. S2. Place the stainless steel foil on the substrate, and place the first pressure plate on the stainless steel foil to apply pressure so that the first pressure plate, the stainless steel foil, and the substrate do not undergo relative displacement during subsequent processing. S3. The exposed area on the stainless steel foil is the processing area. Combined with the final required shape of the electric heating grid, the processing area is cut along the electric heating grid line to form a waste area. At the same time, the waste area is fragmented and cut to form waste fragments. S4. Remove the waste from the waste area; S5. Remove the first pressure plate and place the second pressure plate on the partially cut stainless steel foil to ensure that the second pressure plate, stainless steel foil, and substrate do not shift relative to each other during subsequent processing. S6. Repeat steps S3 and S4 to perform secondary laser cutting on the stainless steel foil and remove the waste. S7. After all the cutting tasks are completed, the second pressure plate is removed. At this time, the stainless steel foil placed on the substrate has been processed into the final required electric heating grid shape. The hollowed-out portions of the first and second pressure plates are complementary. When the first and second pressure plates are stacked and their geometric centers overlap, a complete pressure plate without openings or gaps will be formed. Both the first pressure plate and the second pressure plate include an exposed area and a covered area. The exposed area when the first pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil is the covered area when the second pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil, and the covered area when the first pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil is the exposed area when the second pressure plate covers the stainless steel foil. The exposed and covered areas of the first and second pressure plates are arranged in parallel and spaced apart to form a hollow structure; Furthermore, in steps S4 and S6, a magnetic adsorber is used to move above the processing area and use a magnetic field to remove the waste fragments in each area. The laser cutting process directly targets ultra-thin stainless steel foil to form a metal electrothermal grid.

2. The laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first and second pressure plates are designed and manufactured according to the final required size of the electrothermal grid.

3. The laser cutting method for metal electrothermal grids according to claim 1, characterized in that: In steps S3 and S6, the laser beam scanning system, combined with the final desired shape of the electrothermal grid, controls the cutting along the exposed electrothermal grid within the processing area.

4. A metal electrothermal grid, characterized in that: It is prepared by laser cutting of the metal electrothermal grid as described in any one of claims 1-3.

5. The metal electrothermal grid according to claim 4, characterized in that: The metal electrothermal grid includes a first lead strip and a second lead strip, and the first lead strip and the second lead strip are respectively provided with a first lead wire and a second lead wire.

6. A method for preparing a metal electrothermal mesh thin film, characterized in that: The steps include the following: T1. A first insulating film is applied to the metal electric heating grid processed by the laser cutting method of the metal electric heating grid as described in any one of claims 1-3. After application, the grid is flipped over, and a first lead wire and a second lead wire are placed on the first lead wire and the second lead wire of the metal electric heating grid. T2. Next, a second insulating film is applied to form a metal electrothermal mesh film.

7. A metal electrothermal mesh thin film, characterized in that: It was prepared using the method described in claim 6 for preparing a metal electrothermal mesh thin film.

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