Shaped Hole Laser Drilling With Non-Circular Fiber Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing shaped holes, such as percussion and trepan drilling, are time-consuming and cost-ineffective for mass production, especially in components like airplane turbines and combustors, where thousands of cooling holes are required.
Innovation Solution
A high-power, pulsed or quasi-pulsed fiber laser with a non-circular core emitting a Gaussian electromagnetic distribution is used to create shaped holes in a single drilling operation, allowing for dynamic control of the focal plane and dimensions of diffuser and metering portions, enabling rapid production of shaped holes with a 5- or 6-axis system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If percussion method or trepan drilling is used to produce shaped holes, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the metering hole drilling and diffuser shaping operations into a single laser drilling process. The laser beam creates both the cylindrical metering section and the shaped diffuser section in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate percussion drilling and EDM operations. This integration maintains the precision of shaped hole production while dramatically improving productivity by reducing total processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of laser beam parameters during the drilling process. The laser beam characteristics (such as power, pulse duration, and focal position) are dynamically adjusted throughout the drilling operation to first create the metering hole and then form the diffuser shape. This dynamic parameter control enables a single operation to achieve both precision and speed that were previously only attainable through multiple slower operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If percussion method is used with EDM to produce diffuser shape, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the laser drilling operation with the diffuser shaping operation into a single unified process. Instead of performing percussion drilling to create the hole and then using separate EDM operations to form the diffuser shape, the laser beam directly creates both features in one continuous operation. This eliminates the time loss associated with transitioning between different machining processes while maintaining the precision required for the diffuser geometry.
3Manufacturing precision
If trepan drilling is used to cut hole to required diameter, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic laser beam parameter control to achieve precise hole diameter and diffuser shape in a single operation. The laser beam power, pulse duration, and focal position are dynamically adjusted during drilling to first create the metering hole at the required diameter and then form the diffuser shape. This dynamic control eliminates the need for separate trepan drilling operations while maintaining dimensional precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes laser beam parameters (power, pulse duration, focal position) during the drilling process to achieve different functions in sequence. By modifying these parameters dynamically, the process transitions from creating the metering hole to forming the diffuser shape, all in one operation. This parameter control approach maintains precision while improving productivity by eliminating separate operations.
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 method enables the efficient and rapid production of shaped holes, with each hole formed in a 1 to 15 millisecond range, significantly reducing production time and cost, and allowing for precise control over the dimensions and shape of the holes.
Implementation Method 1
A high power, pulsed or quasi-pulsed fiber laser... is used to create shaped holes in a single drilling operation
Implementation Method 2
a non-circular core emitting radiation in a single mode which has a Gaussian electromagnetic distribution
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3A~4C
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A laser-based drilling system and process for producing shaped holes in a workpiece includes a high power fiber laser assembly including a passive fiber with a non-circular core and configured to emit a plurality of light pulses each with a Gaussian distribution of electromagnetic. The pulses each are emitted at such a wavelength, repetition rate and having a rater duration that as the beam penetrates through the workpiece a region of the near field of the Gaussian beam forms a diffuser portion of the shaped hole and the far field of the beam forms a metering hole portion. The diffuser portion extends between the entrance surface and the waist of the Gaussian beam and has an orifice on the entrance surface having a contour substantially repeating the non-circular shape of the core. The shaped holes can be produced in one shot in a range varying between about of 5 and 15 milliseconds at high repartition rate of up to 100 holes per second.