The aerospace sector - including commercial and satellite, spacecraft, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - has undergone some radical changes in recent years. More and more companies are joining the space race, and many of them need innovative manufacturing techniques.
Лазер обробка's здатність до підвищення продуктивність і утримання витрати низькі травень грати a ключ роль in realizing this response from the aerospace industry. Laser processing - which which realizes operations in the the form of 2c welding, blasting and drilling - has become an integral part of aerospace manufacturing.
Для приклад, лазери are used to production flaps, wing кріплення, jet engine components, and seat parts for plane wings, as well as as to repair turbines, clean or remove from parts, and prepare component surfaces for next processing. in recent years, laser additive manufacturing (AM) has also gained popularity in the space flight sector. In addition, the market is looking to improve the traceability of aerospace components, and with that the demand for laser marking is increasing.
Лазер різання is a fast, економічно ефективний і точний процес that can can be used to meet the вимогливий виробництво вимоги вимоги of аерокосмічний сектор.
Laser can can be used to produce wing fastener parts, fixture parts, end-effector parts, tooling parts, and more. It is is equally suited to smaller parts, such as grafted oil gaskets and titanium pilot tube manifolds, as well as larger parts, such as exhaust cones. It can process a wide divers of aerospace materials, include aluminum, Hastelloy (nickel that has been leged with elements such as as molybdenum and chromium), Inconel, Nitinol, Nitinol, stainless steel, tantalum, and titanium.
Laser зварювання is is also used in aerospace as an alternative to traditional joining methods such as adhesive bonding and mechanical кріплення. For example, the use of laser welding of lightweight aluminum alloys and carbon fiber rearard polymers (CFRP) in aircraft manufacturing are materials that are gaining in importance and are being use to remiting riveting wherever wetting wherever possible. Техніка такі AS лазер маятник зварювання мають також були успішні в паливо бак з'єднання, покращення ефективність і міцність з'єднання 2c зменшення переробка і забезпечення значні економія. інше зварювання успіхи в аерокосмічна галузь включати кріплення лиття сердечники з турбіни лопаті до кришок; і створення нових типів легких крил закрилків that збільшення ламінар потік control, мінімізувати опору і оптимізувати паливо ефективність.
З потенціал для витрат економії, частина вага зменшення і покращений зварний якість над традиційні методи, кілька виробники in the market today are even beginning to consider laser welding for планер деталі.
Виробники в аерокосмічна секторна використання лазер очищення до видалення шари від метал і композит поверхонь в підготовка для обробки, до видалення покриттів або корозія, і до видалення фарба від великих компонентів або цілком літаки до перефарбування.
During the cleaning process, the laser light is absorbed and evaporated by the surface layers of the metal, resulting in ablation of the surface material with little or no effect on the inner layers and no collateral thermal damage to the component. Pulsed fiber lasers in the kilowatt class are particularly well suited for rapid laser cleaning - they allow efficient, high-precision cleaning of a wide range of materials, including ceramics, composites, metals and plastics.
Laser cleaning is the ideal option as it creates a very tightly controlled, replicable surface finish that is capable of achieving a consistent, predictable bond. Traditionally, this would be achieveed through destructive blasting methods or the application of sixal chemicals. однак, лазер очищення зараз пропозиції a однокроковий підхід that is not only more cost-effective and productive, but also has less impact on the environment as no toxic chemicals or blasting materials are required. the impact of laser cleaning on parts is also much gentler than traditional methods.
Laser cleaning of metal and composite aircraft parts is також more favorable than chemical stripping or blasting techniques when it it comes to paint stripping. An aircraft may may be repainted 4-5 times during its lifetime, and it can take a week or more to remove from an entire aircraft using traditional techniques. In contrast, depending on the size of the aircraft, laser cleaning can reduce this time to 3-4} days, and it also makes it it easier for workers to access parts. In addition, when used for paint removal rather than chemical stripping or blasting, laser cleaning can result in in important cost savings - nexts of pounds per aircraft - due to a reduction in hazardous waste of of around 90 percent or більше і зменшений матеріал обробка вимоги.
Лазер Постріл Peening/Laser Impact Peening
In this process, laser pulses are directed into an area of high stress concentration, and each pulse ignites a tiny plasma explosion between the surface of the component and a layer of water sprayed on top. The water layer confines the explosion, which causes the shock wave to penetrate the component and creates compressive residual stresses as its propagation region expands. These stresses improve the likelihood of cracking and other forms of fatigue resistance in metals. Laser peening can extend the service life of metal parts by a factor of 10-15 compared to conventional processes.
Laser blasting is inserlyly use in the aerospace industry. For example, LSP Technologies and Airbus have jointly develop a portable laser peening system that was нещодавно tested and evaluated at Airbus' maintenance and repair facility in Toulouse, France.
The Leopard laser peening system will extend fatigue life by inhibiting the emergence and expansion of cracks caused by cyclic vibration stress. the flexibility of fiber optic beam delivery and customized tooling allows the system to laser beam areas that are hard for aircraft to reach. According to the partners, the system is a breakthrough in laser peening technology that will advance its use, include extending the the life of jet двигун лопаті, серед інше речі.
Сучасні авіадвигуни мають про 500,000} отвори, про 100 рази as багато як двигуни вбудовані в 1980-ті. At the same time, aircraft manufacturers are producing an inverasing number of other components that have a large number of holes drilled for riveted and screwed connections. In the aerospace sector, тому, laser drilling has great market potential because it offers a precise, repeatable, fast and cost-efficient процес.
For example, new high-power femtosecond laser systems are being developed for efficient and precise micro-drilling of large titanium HLFC (Hybrid Laminar Flow Control) panels that will be mounted on wing or tail stabilizers. These panels draw air through small holes, which reduces frictional drag and lowers fuel consumption.
Лазери є все частіше буття використовується до свердла отвори в CFRP літак компоненти (зображення кредит: Ганновер лазер центр)
Оскільки лазер свердління іс безконтактний, матеріал буття оброблений does not need to be fixed in the same way as if it were processed with conventional tools. Other advantage of being contactless is that no tool wear happens, which represents a particular advantage in the operation of drilling CFRP components. Due to their hardness, CFRP components can be very abrasive to conventional tools. лазер свердління банк також be perform at very high speeds, so that excessive damage from heat does not harm the material being processed.
Laser Additive Manufacturing (AM) is is also fasting in the aerospace industry. In this technique, a laser melts successive layers of powder to build shapes. A California-based rocket company even recent ordered two 12-laser-beam 3D printers to make its space missions more cost-effective and efficient by creating lighter, faster, and stronger space components.
While many of these projects are still in the testing phase, laser additive manufacturing has already been used successfully on two missions to Mars. NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed in August 2012, was the first mission to Mars to carry 3D printed parts. This is a ceramic component within the Sample Analysis for Mars (SAM) instrument, part of an ongoing test program to investigate the reliability of additive manufacturing technology.
Зображення.
NASA-built bimetallic comburntion chamber with GRCop-42 L-PBF gaskets and Nasa HR-1 LP-DED sheathing (Image credit: NASA)
Тим часом, NASA's Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in February 2021, contains 11 metal parts made with laser additive manufacturing. Five of these parts are in Perseverance's Planetary Instrument for X-ray Petrochemistry (PIXL), which is is looking for signs of microbial fossil life on Mars. These parts need to be so light that they cannot be produced using traditional forging, molding and cutting methods.
NASA has also been experimenting with the use of laser additive manufacturing for rocket components. In one study, the combustion chamber of a rocket engine was made from a copper alloy. This continued development of laser additive manufacturing has resulted in a component that can be manufactured at about half the cost and in one-sixth the time required for conventional machining, joining and assembly. Because the copper alloys used are highly reflective of infrared lasers, NASA is now investigating how green or blue lasers can improve efficiency and productivity.
While the the use of additive manufacturing in aerospace is currently in its early stages, it is is expected to grow over the next 20 years.
Лазер касовий
Laser grossing is also a very new application in the aerospace industry. In this process, ultrafast lasers are used to create micro- and nanostructures on aircraft surfaces through a technique known as direct laser interference patterning (DLIP), which is used to create a natural "lotus effect" that creates nanostructures that help prevent surface contamination as well as ice buildup on the aircraft.
The innovative optics split a a powerful ultrafast laser pulse into sкілька partial beams, which are then combined on the surface being processed. When viewed under a microscope, the resulting microstructures resemble microscopic "halls" of "pillars" or ripples. The distance between the "pillars" is between about 150 nm and 30 μm - this structure means that water droplets no longer wet the surface and stick to it because Вони don'T мають достатньо зчеплення на поверхні.
In addition to the the functions, the комбінація of лазер і ультразвук can be used for the inspection and stress регулювання of complex metal structural components. The use of high-energy pulsed laser action on the surface of the object to be tested, the surface of the local temperature changes, which causes the object to be tested in the surface layer of thermal expansion, the excitation of ultrasound, ultrasound will carry the material surface and the internal help information, ultrasound signals with a detector to receive, the data processing and analysis of the object to be обстежено в порядок до визначити присутність або відсутність дефектів.
