Back to results
US 2026/0307170 A1Published application
Coaxial laser hotwire head
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsShuang Liu, Erik Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser processing head includes first and second contact points connected to a power source. The power source generates a current to flow through an electrode wire between the first and second contact points to heat the electrode wire. A laser source generates one or more laser beams having lasing power sufficient to at least partially melt the electrode wire. A coaxial laser head focuses the one or more laser beams at one or more focal points on a workpiece to at least partially melt the electrode wire.
Claims20
A welding system comprising:
- a preheating power source configured to output preheating power to preheat a preheating portion of an electrode wire to a preheating temperature below a melting temperature of the electrode wire;
- and
- a processing head comprising:
- a laser source configured to generate one or more laser beams having lasing power sufficient to at least partially melt the electrode wire;
- and
- a coaxial laser head configured to focus each laser beam of the one or more laser beams at a respective focal point of one or more focal points on a workpiece to at least partially melt the electrode wire at a location after the preheating portion along a travel path of the electrode wire.
3 more elements
A laser processing head, comprising:
- a first contact point connected to a preheating power source;
- a second contact point connected to the preheating power source, wherein:
- the preheating power source is configured to generate a preheating current to flow through a preheating portion of an electrode wire between the first contact point and the second contact point arranged within the laser processing head to preheat the preheating portion of the electrode wire;
- at least one of the first contact point or the second contact point is arranged along a central axis extending through the laser processing head;
- and
- the preheating current is configured to preheat the preheating portion of the electrode wire to a preheating temperature below a melting temperature of the electrode wire;
- a laser source configured to generate one or more laser beams having lasing power sufficient to at least partially melt the electrode wire;
- and
- a coaxial laser head configured to focus each laser beam of the one or more laser beams at a respective focal point of one or more focal points on a workpiece to at least partially melt the electrode wire.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.