Laser Drilling Arcuate Sheet Material Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser drilling of microholes in solid sheet materials like aluminum and titanium alloys for aerospace components faces challenges in maintaining consistent focus and hole quality due to material flexing under gas stream pressure, leading to reduced accuracy and increased costs with the use of inert gases like argon.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus holds the sheet material in an arcuate configuration, providing greater rigidity to reduce flexing and maintain accurate focus, combined with dynamic focus adjustment and waste material management using a gas jet, allowing for consistent and efficient drilling of large arrays of microholes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a gas stream is directed at the sheet surface to clear waste material, then waste removal and head cleanliness are improved, but the sheet material moves and flexes making focus control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet material is held in an arcuate (curved) configuration rather than flat, which provides greater structural rigidity and resistance to flexing when gas streams are applied for waste removal, thereby maintaining focus accuracy while still enabling effective waste clearance
2Object-generated harmful factors
If inert gas such as argon is used for waste material removal, then waste clearance effectiveness is improved, but process cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inert gas used for waste material removal is captured and recycled back into the system rather than being discarded, reducing the continuous consumption of expensive inert gases like argon while maintaining effective waste clearance capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains an inert atmosphere environment for effective waste removal but uses recycled inert gas rather than continuous fresh supply, reducing costs while preserving the beneficial inert environment for the drilling process
3Ease of operation
If the sheet material is held flat, then ease of handling is improved, but rigidity is reduced causing flexing under gas stream pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet material is configured in an arcuate shape which inherently provides greater rigidity and resistance to flexing under gas stream pressure compared to a flat configuration, while still allowing for practical handling through the holding device
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of consistently sized and shaped microholes with improved throughput and reduced costs by maintaining accurate focus and minimizing material movement, while also allowing for the reuse of inert gases.
Implementation Method 1
The incident beam energy removes material by ablation and/or vaporisation in localised manner to create the desired array of microholes
Implementation Method 2
The incident beam energy removes material by ablation and/or vaporisation in localised manner to create the desired array of microholes
Implementation Method 3
The gas stream impacts the sheet surface. This may cause it to move and/or flex.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for creating a hole in solid sheet material (1) by laser beam irradiation is described comprising a source of laser radiation; a focusing apparatus (11) for impinging a beam of laser radiation from the source onto a surface of solid sheet material (1) in which holes are to be formed in use; and a holding device (7) for holding said solid sheet material (1); wherein the holding device (7) is structured to hold the sheet material (1) in use in an arcuate configuration. A method of creating a hole in solid sheet material making use of such an arcuate configuration is also described.