Remote laser welding
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMichael G. Poss, Lance T. Ransom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of laser welding a first part to a second part including: shining a pointer laser, redirected by a bending mirror, to form a laser beam directed toward the first and second parts to create a laser stripe on the parts; detecting the laser stripe with a camera that is coaxially located and receives an image along an axis defined by the laser beam; processing the image with a camera processor to detect a location of the feature; automatically adjusting a laser welding system to account for the location of the feature; and activating a welding laser, directed through the bending mirror, to weld the first part to the second part.
Claims10
A method of laser welding a first part to a second part, with a visually detectable feature distinguishing the first part from the second part, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) shining a pointer laser, redirected by a bending mirror, to form a laser beam directed toward the first and second parts to create a laser stripe on the parts;
- (b) detecting the laser stripe with a camera that is coaxially located and receives an image along an axis defined by the laser beam;
- (c) processing the image with a camera processor to detect a location of the feature;
- (d) automatically adjusting a laser welding system to account for the location of the feature;
- and
- (e) after step (d) activating a welding laser, directed through the bending mirror, to weld the first part to the second part.
A method of laser welding a first part to a second part, with a visually detectable feature distinguishing the first part from the second part, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) shining a pointer laser, redirected by a bending mirror, to form a laser beam directed toward the first and second parts to create a laser stripe on the parts;
- (b) detecting the laser stripe with a camera that is coaxially located and receives an image along an axis defined by the laser beam;
- (c) processing the image with a camera processor to detect a location of the feature;
- (d) automatically adjusting a laser welding system to account for the location of the feature;
- and
- (e) after step (d) activating a welding laser, directed through the bending mirror, to weld the first part to the second part, wherein the pointer laser and the welding laser are created by a single laser generator source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.