System and method for laser cladding in controlled environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10252374-B2
Application number	US-201615005682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Jan 25, 2016
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A laser cladding system includes a laser apparatus, a chamber, and a pump system. The laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam. The chamber includes an interior surface that defines a cladding area comprising a sealed volume. The chamber includes a window that is made from a laser-transparent material and is configured to allow the laser beam to pass therethrough into the cladding area. The pump system has a port in communication with the cladding area. The pump system is configured to selectively generate a vacuum pressure within the cladding area sufficient to evacuate gas from within the cladding area out through the port. The laser apparatus includes a laser head from which the laser beam is emitted and a robotic laser motion system configured to selectively move the laser head such that the laser beam moves relative to a reference point within the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser cladding system comprising:
a laser apparatus, the laser apparatus configured to generate a laser beam during at least one cladding operation;
a chamber, the chamber including an interior surface, the interior surface defining a cladding area within the chamber, the cladding area comprising a sealed volume, the chamber including a window, the window being made from a laser-transparent material and configured to allow the laser beam to pass therethrough into the cladding area; and
a pump system, the pump system having at least one pump and at least one port in communication with the cladding area, the pump system configured to perform at least one preparation cycle within the cladding area,
wherein a panel is removably secured to a body of the chamber such that the panel occludes a component opening and is in sealing relationship with the body, the component opening being defined by the body of the chamber having the interior surface defining the cladding area, a component being sealed therein,
wherein the at least one cladding operation includes:
depositing, upon the component within the cladding area comprising the sealed volume, a cladding material,
directing, from outside the chamber including the interior surface defining the cladding area, the laser beam through the window of the chamber such that the laser beam melts the cladding material upon the component within the cladding area,
moving the directed laser beam relative to the component within the cladding area along a scanning path by using a robotic laser motion system of the laser apparatus to move a laser head of the laser apparatus, from which the laser beam is emitted, relative to a reference point within the chamber, and
allowing the cladding material to solidify such that the cladding material is bonded to the component,

wherein the at least one preparation cycle includes generating, within the cladding area, a vacuum pressure sufficient to evacuate gas therefrom, and backfilling, after evacuation of the gas, the cladding area with an amount of an inert gas, and
wherein the vacuum pressure generated during the at least one preparation cycle is maintained during the at least one cladding operation.

2. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic laser motion system is configured to move the laser head such that the laser beam moves relative to the reference point within the chamber with at least two degrees of freedom.

3. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , wherein the laser apparatus includes an optic set, the optic set configured to direct the laser beam into a laser beam shape.

4. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , wherein the pump system includes a supply of the inert gas, the pump system being configured to selectively backfill the cladding area with the amount of the inert gas from the supply of the inert gas during the at least one preparation cycle.

5. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , wherein the component opening is configured to permit the component to pass therethrough for being placed within the cladding area.

6. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , wherein the panel includes the window.

7. The laser cladding system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a component fixture, the component fixture disposed within the cladding area of the chamber, and the component fixture being configured to support the component.

8. The laser cladding system of claim 7 , wherein the component fixture includes a robotic component motion system, the robotic component motion system configured to move the component supported by the component fixture relative to the laser beam.

9. The laser cladding system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a material feeder apparatus, the material feeder apparatus having a feedstock discharge end, the feedstock discharge end disposed within the cladding area of the chamber, the material feeder apparatus configured to selectively dispense the cladding material from the feedstock discharge end.

10. The laser cladding system of claim 9 , wherein the material feeder apparatus includes a robotic feeder motion system, the robotic feeder motion system configured to move the feedstock discharge end relative to the component when the component is supported by the component fixture.

11. A method for laser cladding comprising:
placing a component within a cladding area comprising a sealed volume and being defined by an interior surface of a chamber, the chamber including a window made from a laser-transparent material, wherein said placing the component within the cladding area includes passing the component through a component opening defined by a body of the chamber, and removably securing a panel to the body after the component is placed within the cladding area such that the panel occludes the component opening and is in sealing relationship with the body;
performing at least one preparation cycle, within the cladding area, including generating, within the cladding area, a vacuum pressure sufficient to evacuate gas therefrom, and backfilling, after evacuation of the gas, the cladding area with an amount of an inert gas; and
performing at least one cladding operation, including:
depositing, upon the component within the cladding area comprising the sealed volume, a cladding material,
directing, from outside the chamber including the interior surface defining the cladding area, a laser beam through the window of the chamber such that the laser beam melts the cladding material upon the component within the cladding area,
moving the directed laser beam relative to the component within the cladding area along a scanning path by using a robotic laser motion system to move a laser head from which the laser beam is emitted, and
allowing the cladding material to solidify such that the cladding material is bonded to the component,

wherein the vacuum pressure generated during the at least one preparation cycle is maintained during performing the at least one cladding operation.

12. The method for laser cladding according to claim 11 , wherein the component is made at least in part from a substrate material, and the cladding material is bonded to the substrate material, the substrate material being different from the cladding material.

13. The method for laser cladding according to claim 11 , wherein said moving the directed laser beam relative to the component along the scanning path includes translating the directed laser beam relative to the component along the scanning path.

14. The method for laser cladding according to claim 11 , further comprising:
machining the component to form a repair surface, the repair surface having a dimension with a value being less than a specification value,
wherein depositing the cladding material upon the component includes depositing the cladding material upon the repair surface, and
wherein the cladding material is bonded to the repair surface of the component such that the value of the dimension is increased to be equal to or greater than the specification value.

15. The method for laser cladding according to claim 11 , wherein said moving the directed laser beam relative to the component along the scanning path includes using a robotic component motion system to move the component.

16. The method for laser cladding according to claim 15 , wherein the robotic component motion system rotates the component about a component rotational axis.

17. The method for laser cladding according to claim 11 , wherein said depositing the cladding material upon the component includes dispensing the cladding

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Cavanaugh Daniel T
• Sordelet Daniel

Classifications

• B23K26/0823

  Devices involving rotation of the workpiece · CPC title

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title

• B23K26/127 Primary

  in an enclosure · CPC title

• B23K26/34

  Laser welding for purposes other than joining · CPC title

• B23K26/123

  in an atmosphere of particular gases · CPC title