Method for automated production of a workpiece having a diaphragm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723086-B2
Application number	US-201615376977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the automated production of a workpiece having at least one diaphragm, including a workpiece for an electrochemical sensor, including providing a workpiece that has a wall with at least one continuous opening through the wall, wherein a diaphragm body is affixed in the at least one opening, such that the diaphragm body completely fills a cross-section of the opening, and processing the diaphragm body by means of a laser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing a workpiece for an electrochemical sensor, wherein the workpiece includes a wall with a continuous opening extending through the wall;
providing a diaphragm body, wherein the diaphragm body is made from a porous ceramic;
affixing the diaphragm body in the opening such that the diaphragm body completely fills a cross-section of the opening; and
after the affixing, processing the diaphragm body using a laser so that a property of the diaphragm body is changed,
wherein the porous ceramic of the diaphragm body includes one or more materials mixed within the ceramic that facilitate the processing of the diaphragm body using the laser.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
temporarily fixing the workpiece in a workpiece holder; and
moving a beam emitted by the laser and the workpiece holder relative to one another during the processing so that the beam strikes at least a section of the diaphragm body.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting optically a position and an orientation of the diaphragm body.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the optical detection of the position and the orientation of the diaphragm body includes:
acquiring image data using an image acquisition device of a region of the wall where the diaphragm body is disposed; and
analyzing the image data using an electronic data processing unit configured to determine the position and the orientation of the diaphragm body with respect to a specified coordinate system and/or with respect to the wall of the workpiece.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the workpiece with the diaphragm body and the beam are moved relative to one another based upon the determined position and orientation of the diaphragm body with respect to the specified coordinate system.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm body is made from the ceramic which has pores, the pores having inner surfaces, and wherein the processing of the diaphragm body further comprises:
introducing energy with the beam or beam bundle emitted by the laser into at least a section of the diaphragm body to reduce a total volume of the pores, a number of the pores, and/or an average cross-section of the pores, at least in the section.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the processing of the diaphragm body further comprises applying a coating to a surface of the diaphragm body and/or to at least a section of the inner pore surfaces of the diaphragm body.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm body is made from the ceramic, and wherein the processing of the diaphragm body further comprises:
introducing energy with the beam or beam bundle emitted by the laser into at least a section of the diaphragm body and forming and/or enlarging cavities, pores, and channels within the section of the diaphragm body.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm body includes a slip or a ceramic precursor material, and wherein the processing of the diaphragm body further comprises:
sintering the diaphragm body to form a ceramic from the slip or the ceramic precursor material.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the processing of the diaphragm body further comprises:
cutting the diaphragm body to a specified length using the laser.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm body includes one or more materials that, under the influence of the processing by the laser, effect a chemical modification of the diaphragm body or produce an electron conductivity of the diaphragm body.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece has a tube, and wherein the wall is a wall of the tube surrounding a lumen of the tube.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is made of glass.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the porous ceramic is a ceramic comprising zirconium dioxide.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more materials mixed with the ceramic that facilitate the processing using the laser absorb energy introduced by the laser and convert the energy into heat.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Conducta Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Hanko Michael
• Wilhelm Thomas
• Blankenburg Bert
• Enderwitz Carsten
• Voigtländer Jens

Classifications

• C04B35/486 Primary

  Fine ceramics · CPC title

• C04B2235/665

  Local sintering, e.g. laser sintering · CPC title

• B29C66/034

  Thermal after-treatments · CPC title

• B29C66/7461 Primary

  Ceramics · CPC title

• B28B11/0872

  Non-mechanical reshaping of the surface, e.g. by burning, acids, radiation energy, air flow, etc. · CPC title