Laser surface treatment on stainless steel and nickel alloys for adhesive bonding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12083625-B2
Application number	US-202016839753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Apr 5, 2019
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for the laser surface treatment on stainless steel alloys and nickel alloys may include a computer may be programmed to set a laser path corresponding to a predetermined geometric pattern. A laser may be coupled to the computer and apply a pulsed laser beam to a contact surface of the substrate along the predefined geometric pattern. The pulsed laser beam may have a laser power between 0.1 W and 100 W, single pulse fluence 1 mJ/mm 2 and 1025 mJ/mm 2 and a laser speed between 25.4 cm/s and 127 cm/s. The laser may generate an open pore oxide layer on the contact surface of the substrate with a thickness of 0.1-1 μm, an open pore distance of 0.05-1 μm. The open pore oxide layer may have a topography corresponding to the predefined geometric pattern. The topography may contain open pore structures and promote adhesive bond performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an airfoil, the method comprising:
disposing an airfoil under a system comprising a computer numerical control (CNC) tool coupled to a laser;
programming one or more processors with a predetermined set laser path corresponding to a predefined geometric pattern for the laser along the airfoil to form a program;
commanding, by the one or more processors and in response to execution of the program, a laser to apply a pulsed laser beam to a contact surface of the airfoil along the predefined geometric pattern, the pulsed laser beam having a single pulse fluence between 1 mJ/mm 2 and 1025 mJ/mm 2 , wherein the airfoil comprises at least one of nickel or steel;
in response to the commanding the laser along the predefined geometric pattern, forming a topography on the contact surface having a height between 0.1 μm and 1 μm, an open pore structure with a pore distance between 0.05 and 1 μm, and an oxide layer between 0.01 and 0.3 μm, wherein:
the contact surface is at least one of a pressure side and a suction side of the airfoil,
maintaining the pulsed laser beam substantially normal to the contact surface during operation, and
the predetermined set laser path is a three-dimensional path corresponding to the predefined geometric pattern of the contact surface, wherein the contact surface has a complex three-dimensional surface, and

disposing an adhesive on the contact surface; and
bonding a second substrate to the contact surface of the airfoil.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prior to the commanding, by the processor, coupling the laser to a computer numeric control (CNC) tool.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single pulse fluence is between 10 mJ/mm2 and 205 mJ/mm2.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined geometric pattern comprises at least one of a perpendicular crosshatch pattern or a rotating linear array.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulsed laser beam comprises a wavelength of about 355 nm or about 1,064 nm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate has a dissimilar material relative to the airfoil.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Rtx Corp
• Usa As Represented By The Administrator Of The Nat Aeronautics And Space Administration

Inventors

• Fang Xiaomei
• Hertel Christopher J
• Riehl John D
• Connell John W
• Palmieri Frank L
• Hopkins John W

Classifications

• B23K26/0622

  by shaping pulses · CPC title

• B23K2103/05

  Stainless steel · CPC title

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• B23K26/359 Primary

  by providing a line or line pattern, e.g. a dotted break initiation line · CPC title

• B23K26/3584 Primary

  Increasing rugosity, i.e. roughening · CPC title