Quality control plasma monitor for laser shock processing
AssigneeLSP Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid W. Sokol, Craig T. Walters, Harold M. Epstein, Allan H. Clauer, Jeffrey L. Dulaney, Mark O'Loughlin
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for quality control of laser shock processing. The method includes measuring emissions and characteristics of a workpiece when subjected to a pulse of coherent energy from a laser. These empirically measured emissions and characteristics of the workpiece are correlated to theoretical shock pressure, residual stress profile, or fatigue life of the workpiece. The apparatus may include a radiometer or acoustic detection device for measuring these characteristics.
Claims22
A method for real time shock processing of a workpiece comprising the steps of:
- applying an opaque overlay to the workpiece;
- directing beam of coherent energy to the workpiece to vaporize a portion of the opaque overlay and create a plasma which emits energy therefrom;
- monitoring a portion of the energy emitted from the plasma, the monitoring operation for providing a measure of at least one characteristic of the plasma energy emission;
- and
- determining a relation between the measurement of the at least one characteristic of the plasma energy emission and at least one characteristic associated with the workpiece to thereby arrive in real time at a quality determination, said quality determination being used to at least one of evaluate an effectiveness of the laser processing of the workpiece and initiate reprocessing of the workpiece.
A method for real time monitoring the laser shock peening of a workpiece comprising the steps of:
- applying a transparent overlay to the workpiece;
- directing a beam of coherent energy to a workpiece through said transparent overlay and create a plasma which emits energy therefrom;
- monitoring a portion of the energy emitted from said plasma, the monitoring operation for providing a measure of the least one characteristic of the plasma energy emission;
- and
- determining a relation between the measurement of the at least one characteristic of the plasma energy emission and at least one characteristic associated with the workpiece to thereby arrive in real time at a quality determination, said quality determination being used to at least one of evaluate an effectiveness of the laser processing of the workpiece and initiate reprocessing of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.