Vacuum Pump Rotor Laser Balancing for Minimal Residual Imbalance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Balancing rotors with complex shapes in vacuum pumps, particularly turbomolecular pumps, is challenging due to the need for precise machining to minimize imbalance and ensure reliable operation at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
A method using a laser for material removal, involving rough and fine alignment techniques with translational and rotational movements of mirrors to target specific areas on the rotor, allowing for precise reduction of imbalance by localized material removal, enabling effective dynamic imbalance reduction and achieving high balance quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining methods are used to balance complex shaped rotors, then material can be removed to reduce imbalance, but the machining precision is insufficient to achieve minimal residual imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical machining methods with laser technology for material removal. The laser beam precisely removes material from the rotor surface to correct imbalance, achieving higher precision than mechanical methods while maintaining operational reliability through non-contact processing that avoids mechanical tool wear and positioning errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the material removal process by using laser energy instead of mechanical force. By controlling laser parameters such as power, pulse duration, and beam focus, the system achieves precise material ablation with controlled heat affected zones, enabling minimal residual imbalance while preserving rotor integrity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple points along the complex rotor form are machined to minimize imbalance, then balancing quality improves, but the device complexity and process time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single laser system that can process multiple points and surfaces on the complex rotor form without requiring multiple specialized machining tools. The laser beam can be positioned and directed to any location on the rotor surface, providing universal material removal capability that simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining high balancing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser-based material removal system replaces complex mechanical machining setups with a flexible optical system. The laser can access difficult-to-reach areas and complex geometries without requiring specialized fixtures or tools for each location, reducing device complexity while enabling precise balancing across multiple rotor points.
3Extent of automation
If traditional machining methods are used, then material removal can be performed, but the precision and automation capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or semi-automated mechanical machining with an automated laser processing system. The laser can be precisely positioned and controlled through automated programming to remove material at exact locations on the rotor, achieving both high automation capability and superior machining precision that cannot be attained with traditional mechanical methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes controllable laser parameters such as pulse duration, power level, and beam focus to achieve precise material removal. These parameters can be automatically adjusted and programmed for different balancing requirements, enabling high-level automation while maintaining or improving machining precision compared to traditional methods.
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 achieves accurate and efficient balancing of rotors, ensuring high operational reliability and longevity of vacuum pumps by precisely addressing uneven mass distribution and reducing residual imbalances, thereby enhancing the rotor's balance quality and extending the pump's service life.
Implementation Method 1
Material removal using a laser is also known as laser ablation. In this process, the rotor material, especially metallic material, is heated locally to such an intense degree that melting occurs, accompanied by vaporization and/or sublimation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for balancing a rotor (13) of a vacuum pump, in particular a turbomolecular pump, in which an imbalance of the rotor is determined and material is removed from the rotor by means of a laser (1) depending on the determined imbalance in order to reduce the imbalance, wherein, for the removal of the material, the rotor is brought to a rotational speed that is significantly lower than a rotational speed provided for when determining the imbalance, in particular wherein the rotor is brought to a standstill for the removal of the material.