Laser Material Processing New Frontiers New Opportunities Terry VanderWert/ Prima Power Laserdyne

Transcription

1 Laser Material Processing New Frontiers New Opportunities Terry VanderWert/ Prima Power Laserdyne

2 Moving the frontier from solution looking for a problem to enabling technology 2

3 About Prima Power Laserdyne Founded in March 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Today, a Business Unit of Prima Power Division, Prima Industrie (Turin, Italy) Design, manufacture, sell, and service LASERDYNE laser machines Focus is on providing manufacturing solutions products and processes LASERDYNE machines have enabled the revolution in aero-engine efficiency 3

4 Moving the aerospace manufacturing frontier Mature processes Process knowledge Laser system capability Examples Reduced/no cracking in crack sensitive alloys Controlling weld geometry in wire feed welding Welding dissimilar metals High power CW/QCW fiber laser higher throughput; wavelength better suited to welding SmartTechniques (SmartPierce, SmartRamp ) Emerging processes Examples New materials Composites TBC (thermal barrier coatings) New Texturing processes 3D metal printing 4

5 Laser Cutting & Drilling of Metals 5

6 Faster control of fiber laser sources reduces piercing time and produces cleaner cuts greater productivity and quality Standard piercing With SmartPierce 6

7 Faster control of latest generation laser sources reduces piercing time and produces cleaner cuts new capability Drilling thin metals with negligible distortion and debris 7

8 Higher power laser sources, laser pulse shaping, and faster machine tool controls lead to greater throughput in laser drilling Cycle time reduced from 55 minutes to 15 minutes 8

9 Greater control of laser processes leads to better control of metallurgy in laser cutting and drilling reduced cracking in crack sensitive alloys Hastelloy X (wrought) 9

10 Inconel 792 (cast) reduced cracking through laser process parameters 0.5mm dia. hole; recast layer crack 22.7µm, base metal crack: 21.8µm 0.5mm dia. hole; no cracks in recast layer or base metal 10

11 Texturing blind hole drilling from micrometers to tenths of millimeter depth Applications: modify surface reflectance, prepare surface for adhesive bonding, create features for injection molding 10 µm deep 200 µm deep

12 Laser Welding of Similar and Dissimilar Metals and Alloys 12

13 Inconel 625 Qualified process for aerospace focus 0.80 mm thick Inconel 625 alloy; butt joint X-ray image of the weld with no evidence of porosity or cracking. Negligible porosity using nitrogen shielding gas is from reduced surface tension of the molten pool allowing gas bubbles to more easily escape the weld pool. Other Nickel alloys Hastelloy X, Haynes 230, Nimonic C263, Inconel mm thick Hastelloy X; butt joint 3.2mm thick Haynes 230; butt joint 3.2mm thick Nimonic C263; butt joint 2mm thick Inconel 718; butt joint 13

14 Case Study: Welding aircraft component with filler wire Inconel mm thick x 4 m long butt weld Quality requirements No measurable porosity (achieved with Nitrogen) No top and bottom bead undercut Top bead width: mm Waist (center of the weld) width: mm Bottom bead: >1.5 mm Oxide free top and bottom bead No indentation at the start and finish Without filler wire With filler wire 14

15 Welding Titanium alloys Ti 6Al 4V alloy; Argon shield gas. 1.4 mm thick; butt joint; P a : 2 kw; Speed: 2 m/min 3.2mm thick; butt joint; P a : 3 kw; Speed: 3m/min 3.2mm thick; butt joint; P a : 3 kw; Speed: 2m/min X-ray image of the weld showing no porosity. 15

16 Increased process control eliminates start/stop depression Standard power ramping Depression at end point Excessive top bead undercut SmartRamp No depression at end point Smooth/convex (reinforced) top bead 16

17 Increased process control through pulse shaping and modulation No modulation With modulation Overlap weld of Alloy 630 (17 4 PH stainless steel) 2.0kW 1.6kW 1.2kW 17

18 Wobbling No wobble With wobble 0.6 mm radius 2+2 mm overlap joint 2+2 mm butt joint 2+2 mm overlap joint 2+2 mm butt joint 18

19 Laser Machining (Cutting & Drilling) of Composite Materials 19

20 Composites machining (cutting, drilling) Various types Matrix epoxy, metal, ceramic Fiber glass, carbon (graphite), metal, ceramic Capability from an ever expanding range of laser sources Pulse duration: CW QCW picosecond pulse Wavelength: IR green UV No tooling cost No mechanical forces or damage to the material 20

21 Laser drilling of GFRP using singlemode (SM) fiber laser Entry Exit

22 Laser cutting CFRP with SM fiber laser 1.5 mm thick CFRP; Nitrogen assist gas Image of fiber ends of a clean cut face The mechanically sheared sample shows the fibers protruding out of the bulk of the composite The edge quality produced by the fiber laser is far superior to an edge produced by mechanical shearing. Evidence of striation formation

23 Laser drilling of CFRP several choices of laser source Entry Exit QCW fiber laser: 1 mm thick CFRP ; 120 µm dia. percussion drilled; nitrogen assist gas

24 Laser drilling blind hole in CFRP with picosecond laser 200 µm x 250 µm deep hole in CFRP using picosecond pulse length laser

25 Metal matrix composite 2 mm thick Al Li alloy with 20 wt% SiC particulate 1 mm thick Ti 6Al 4V alloy with SiC fiber

26 Ceramics Silicon Nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) and Aluminum Carbide (AlC) tend to crack due to poor thermal shock resistance. Cracking can be reduced by pre and postheating (typically up to 500⁰C)

27 Additive Manufacturing (3D Metal Printing) 27

28 Direct Energy Deposition Laser Scanner Adaptive collimator 28

29 Summary 29

30 Summary Faster, more precise control of new high power fiber laser sources has increased the capability in laser cutting, welding, and drilling. Higher throughput in cutting and drilling along with better control of metallurgy improves the economics of laser cutting and drilling versus competing technologies. Laser cutting and drilling of composite materials polymer, metal, and ceramic matrix has increased with modern laser systems. 3D printing of metals builds on laser cutting, welding, and drilling processes and on laser and machine technology for these. 30

31 Thank You! Prima Power Laserdyne, LLC th Avenue North, #400 Champlin, MN USA