US4356376A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pulse laser pretreated machining
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1981-05-13
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Granted: 1982-10-26
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Expires: 2001-05-13
Abstract
Abstract An improved laser-assisted machining process has special application to difficult-to-machine materials such as the titanium alloys and high temperature superalloys. A layer of material to be removed by a cutting tool is made weaker by drilling a series of holes using a pulse laser beam ahead of the cutting process so that the tool removes the rest of the weaker material with relative ease. There is a decrease of cutting forces, breakage of the chip to a manageable size, and reduced tool wear.
Inventors
- 👤 Ranga Komanduri
- 👤 Minyoung Lee
- 👤 Donald G. Flom
- 👤 Robert A. Thompson
- 👤 Marshall G. Jones
- 👤 Robert J. Douglas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 12:22
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23P; B23P25/00; B23P25/003; B23P25/006; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/08; B23K26/0823; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5104; Y10T29/5109; Y10T29/5114; Y10T82/00; Y10T82/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of machining a workpiece made of a difficult-to-machine material comprising: pretreating the outer surface of the workpiece prior to the cutting process by using a pulse laser beam to drill circumferentially spaced holes in a layer of material to be removed, said holes having a depth no greater than a known depth of cut of a cutting tool; and rotating said workpiece relative to said cutting tool to remove the layer of material which is weakened by said holes and to generate a segmented chip.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of machining a workpiece made of a difficult-to-machine material comprising: pretreating the outer surface of the workpiece prior to the cutting process by using a pulse laser beam to drill circumferentially spaced holes in a layer of material to be removed, said holes having a depth no greater than a known depth of cut of a cutting tool; and rotating said workpiece relative to said cutting tool to remove the layer of material which is weakened by said holes and to generate a segmented chip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said pulse laser drilled holes is greater than the width of said chip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the depth-to-diameter aspect ratio of said pulse laser drilled holes is 1 to 2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said pulse laser beam is generated by a 1.06 micrometer wavelength laser.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of machining a workpiece made of a difficult-to-machine material such as the titanium alloys and high temperature superalloys, comprising: rotating the workpiece and pretreating its outer surface prior to the cutting process by using a pulse laser beam to drill a series of radial holes in a layer of material to be removed, said holes having a depth no greater than a known depth of cut of a single-point cutting tool and a diameter greater than an expected chip width; and removing, with said cutting tool, the pretreated layer of material which has been weakened by said series of holes, and generating a segmented chip.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of machining a workpiece made of a difficult-to-machine material such as the titanium alloys and high temperature superalloys, comprising: rotating the workpiece and pretreating its outer surface prior to the cutting process by using a pulse laser beam to drill a series of radial holes in a layer of material to be removed, said holes having a depth no greater than a known depth of cut of a single-point cutting tool and a diameter greater than an expected chip width; and removing, with said cutting tool, the pretreated layer of material which has been weakened by said series of holes, and generating a segmented chip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said pulse laser beam is generated by a neodymium-YAG laser operated in pulse mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said pulse laser beam is generated by a neodymium-YAG laser having a repetition rate of at least 400 pulses per second.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said pulse laser drilled holes have a depth between 0.020 inch and 0.060 inch and a diameter between 0.010 inch and 0.060 inch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the workpiece is bathed with a gas to enhance material removal by said pulse laser beam.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-10-25 | 1986-04-26 | 1986-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-10-25 | 1990-04-26 | 1990-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-10-25 | 1994-04-26 | 1994-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |