A method and apparatus for removing surface contaminants from the surface of a substrate by high-energy irradiation is provided. The invention enables removal of surface contaminants without altering of the substrate's underlying molecular structure. The source of high-energy irradiation may comprise a pulsed laser.

Removal of surface contaminants by irradiation from a high-energy source

A novel and inventive hand held powder-fed laser fusion welding torch providing manual flexibility for laser welding with powder-fed material. The hand held laser includes a body, handle, and nozzle assembly. The nozzle may be shrouded by a cover that is slightly spaced apart from the nozzle. The gap between the two may provide space through which inert gas may flow. Laser light from a remote source shines through the nozzle's central aperture. The nozzle aperture may be circumscribed by powder channel outlets aligned upon a working focal point coincident with the laser beam to treat a workpiece. A proximity sensor may enable selective welding torch operation according to the presence of a workpiece.

Hand held powder-fed laser fusion welding torch

A coupler apparatus for supporting an output end of an optical fiber is described. In one embodiment, the coupler apparatus includes a first lens for collimating as a first collimated beam a portion of a high power laser beam emitted from the output end of the fiber. The beam, as it is transmitted through the coupler, is expanded and shaped into a materials processing beam portion which is focused onto a workpiece surface.

Fiber output coupler with beam shaping optics for laser materials processing system

A coating removal apparatus utilizing a common optics path to provide laser pulses to a coated surface and to direct a light illumination reflected from the coated surface to a photosensitive detector and analyzer. The apparatus is an integrated device including a laser source, a beam splitter, scanning optics, a waste removal apparatus, one or more light illuminators, a photosensitive detector, a comparator, and a control logic circuit. Alternatively, the laser source is external to the integrated device and a fiber optic cable is used to connect the laser source to the integrated device.

Color sensing for laser decoating

Pulse laser energy in the near infrared and visible spectrum is passed through a single fiber optic at power levels required for material and metal processing. A neodymium-YAG laser used in pulsed mode is coupled to the end of a quartz fiber optic which transmits peak powers in the kilowatt range. In order to transmit higher amounts of average power, a prepared fiber end allows beam coupling through core-air and core-cladding zones. The beam at the output of the fiber optic is focused to achieve power densities capable of cutting, drilling, and welding of metals etc. The main advantage is greater flexibility of laser beam manipulation.

Apparatus and method for performing laser material processing through a fiber optic

Laser processes such as cutting, drilling, and welding metals and other materials are performed manually with a hand held fiber optic laser tool. A near infrared or visible wavelength pulsed laser beam is coupled to the tool by a single clad quartz fiber whose ends are prepared to reduce losses and which transmits laser energy with peak powers in the kilowatt range to the output end. The hand held laser tool is comprised of focusing optics for the laser beam, an inert gas supply for welding cover gas, and an oxygen supply for gas assist cutting.

Donald C. Richardson

Papers

Industrial hand held laser tool and laser system