Apparatus and a method of machining a shape through a component
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorGraham Charles GUY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of laser drilling a hole comprising providing a laser source at a first side of a component to laser drill a hole through the component. A light source is positioned in the path of the laser beam at the opposite side of the component. A camera is provided at the first side of the component. The camera is positioned such that it has a line of sight view of the light source through the laser drilled hole. The laser drilled hole in the component is viewed using the light provided by the light source at the opposite side of the component. The parameters of the laser drilled hole are measured using the view of the laser drilled hole provided by the camera and a flow of gas is provided over the surface of the light source to protect the light source.
Claims30
An apparatus for machining a shape through a component comprises a tool, a light source, a camera and a processor, the light source is positioned in the path of the tool, the camera is positioned or positionable such that it has a line of sight view of the light source through the machined shape through the component, the processor is arranged to measure the parameters of the machined shape through the component using the view of the machined shape provided by the camera, the processor is arranged to compare the measured parameters of the machined shape through the component with required parameters for the machined shape through the component and a device is arranged to provide a flow of fluid over the surface of the light source, the device is selected from the group consisting of a supply nozzle to blow the fluid over the surface of the light source and a collector nozzle to suck the fluid over the surface of the light source.
A method of machining a shape through a component comprising providing a tool at a first side of the component, positioning a light source in the path of the tool at the opposite side of the component, providing a camera at the first side of the component, the method comprising the steps of illuminating the second side of the component at least in the vicinity of the path of the tool, flowing a fluid over the surface of the light source to protect the light source, machining through the component from the first side of the component to the second side of the component to form the shape through the component, positioning the camera such that it has a line of sight view of the light source through the machined shape through the component, viewing the machined shape through the component using the illumination provided by the light source at the opposite side of the component, measuring parameters of the machined shape through the component using the view of the machine component provided by the camera, comparing the measured parameters of the machined shape through the component with required parameters for the machined shape through the component, the method further comprising blowing the fluid over the surface of the light source and/or sucking the fluid over the surface of the light source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.