Coaxial Wire-Feed Cladding Head With Adjustable Beam Splitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wire cladding technologies face limitations due to low processing flexibility, high costs, and energy inefficiencies in beam splitting, particularly with paraxial wire feeding methods that result in defective cladding and require complex, costly optical lenses with high thermal effects and low beam splitting efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An optical path/beam splitting unit utilizing adjustable mirrors and beam splitters to split and focus laser beams evenly onto a wire, eliminating the need for complex lenses and reducing energy loss, allowing for precise adjustment and improved processing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If complex optical lenses are used for beam splitting in paraxial wire feeding, then beam splitting can be achieved, but the device complexity increases, processing costs increase, and thermal effects worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single laser beam into multiple beams (typically 3-4 beams) using beam splitters, allowing the laser energy to be distributed to multiple wire feeding points simultaneously. This segmentation enables parallel processing of multiple wires, improving manufacturing efficiency while using simpler optical components compared to complex lens systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical lens-based beam splitting systems with a more straightforward optical path division approach using beam splitters and mirrors. This substitution simplifies the mechanical structure, reduces the number of adjustable components, and lowers both device complexity and processing costs while maintaining effective beam splitting capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If complex optical lenses are used for beam splitting, then beam splitting can be achieved, but energy loss increases due to thermal effects and low splitting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam is segmented into multiple paths using high-efficiency beam splitters that minimize energy loss at each division point. The segmented beams are then directed to multiple wires simultaneously, ensuring that laser energy is efficiently distributed without significant thermal losses, unlike complex lens systems that absorb and dissipate energy as heat.
3Productivity
If paraxial wire feeding is used, then wire feeding can be achieved, but processing flexibility decreases and cladding quality deteriorates due to molten pool deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs adjustable mirrors or movable mounting structures that allow dynamic adjustment of the laser beam angles. This enables the system to adapt to different wire positions, orientations, and feeding directions, significantly improving processing flexibility. The molten pool can be precisely controlled to align with wire droplets regardless of the wire's spatial configuration, overcoming the limitations of fixed paraxial feeding arrangements.
4Device complexity
If fixed beam splitting is used without angle adjustment, then optical path simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision decreases as beams cannot be precisely focused on the wire
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable mirrors or goniometric mounting mechanisms that allow precise angular adjustment of each beam path. This dynamic adjustment capability enables operators to fine-tune the focusing position of each beam on the wire surface, achieving high manufacturing precision while maintaining relatively simple optical components. The adjustability compensates for variations in wire position and ensures accurate beam-wire alignment.
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
The solution enhances processing flexibility and accuracy by ensuring even energy distribution on the wire, reducing adjustment difficulties, and eliminating the need for costly cooling systems, while maintaining high splitting efficiency and reducing energy loss.
Implementation Method 1
the beam splitter splits an incident laser beam into a plurality of split beams
Implementation Method 2
the beam splitter splits an incident laser beam into a plurality of split beams
Implementation Method 3
each of the split beams is correspondingly irradiated onto a corresponding one of the adjustable mirrors; the several adjustable mirrors adjust the focusing of the split beams to a point
Implementation Method 4
an aspheric focusing mirror, configured to focus the reflected beam onto the wire
Implementation Method 5
laser beams to melt wire (or powder) and thin substrate materials
Implementation Method 6
laser beams to melt wire (or powder) and thin substrate materials
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses an optical path/beam splitting unit and a coaxial-wire-feed cladding head thereof. The optical path/beam splitting unit includes an adjustable mirror and at least one stage of beam splitter. Several adjustable mirrors are distributed around the beam splitter. The beam splitter splits an incident laser beam into a plurality of split beams perpendicular to the incident laser beam. The split beams all are focused to a point through the adjustable mirrors. The coaxial-wire-feed cladding head includes a cladding head mirror cavity provided therein with the optical path/beam splitting unit and a wire feeding tube. The wire feeding tube is coaxially arranged with the collimated laser beam. The wire feeding tube extends out of the cladding head mirror cavity. A wire passes through the wire feeding tube and the wire feeding nozzle in order. The adjustable mirrors adjust the focusing of the split beams onto the wire.