Claims
- 1. A method of laser peening, comprising:
applying a curable resin coating to a portion of a surface of a material; applying a transparent overlay material to said curable resin coated portion of the solid material; and directing a pulse of coherent energy to said coated portion of the solid material to create a shockwave.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which after said pulse of coherent energy is directed to said coated portion of the solid material, a high-speed jet of fluid is directed to said surface of the solid material to clean a portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying light to said curable resin.
- 4. The method of claim 1 in which said method is repeated to another portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 5. The method of claim 3 in which said light is ultraviolet and said curable resin is cured when exposed to said ultraviolet light.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying an energy absorbing coating.
- 7. The method of claim 1 in which said transparent overlay material is water.
- 8. The method of claim 2 in which all of the steps are controlled by an electronic processor.
- 9. The method of claim 1 in which the pulse of coherent energy is provided by a laser.
- 10. The method in claim 3 in which said light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 11. The method in claim 1 in which said curable resin is cured in less than one second.
- 12. The method of claim 1 in which said curable resin is less than halfway cured to form a pellicle over said energy absorbing coating before applying said transparent overlay material.
- 13. A method of laser peening, comprising:
applying an energy absorbing coating to a portion of a surface of a solid material; applying a curable resin coating to said energy absorbing coating; and directing a pulse of coherent energy to said energy absorbing coated portion of the solid material to create a shockwave.
- 14. The method of claim 13 in which after said pulse of coherent energy is directed to said coated portion of the solid material, a high-speed jet of fluid is directed to said surface of the solid material to clean a portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 15. The method of claim 13 further comprising applying light to said curable resin.
- 16. The method of claim 13 in which said method is repeated to another portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 17. The method of claim 15 in which said light is ultraviolet and said curable resin is cured when exposed to said ultraviolet light.
- 18. The method of claim 13 in which said energy absorbing coating is paint.
- 19. The method of claim 13 in which said curable resin is a solid polymer.
- 20. The method of claim 14 in which all of the steps are controlled by an electronic processor.
- 21. The method of claim 13 in which the pulse of coherent energy is provided by a laser.
- 22. The method in claim 15 in which said light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 23. The method in claim 13 in which said curable resin is cured in less than one second.
- 24. The method of claim 13 in which said curable resin is less than halfway cured to form a pellicle over said energy absorbing coating before directing said pulse of coherent energy to said energy absorbing coating.
- 25. A method of laser peening, comprising:
mixing an energy absorbing coating with a curable resin; applying said mixture coating to a portion of a surface of a solid material; applying a transparent overlay material to said mixture coated portion of the solid material; and directing a pulse of coherent energy to said energy absorbing coated portion of the solid material to create a shockwave.
- 26. The method of claim 25 in which after said pulse of coherent energy is directed to said coated portion of the solid material, a high-speed jet of fluid is directed to said surface of the solid material to clean a portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 27. The method of claim 25 further comprising applying light to said curable resin.
- 28. The method of claim 25 in which said method is repeated to another portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 29. The method of claim 27 in which said light is ultraviolet and said curable resin is cured when exposed to said ultraviolet light.
- 30. The method of claim 25 in which said energy absorbing coating is paint.
- 31. The method of claim 25 in which all of the steps are timed and controlled by an electronic processor.
- 32. The method of claim 25 in which the pulse of coherent energy is provided by a laser.
- 33. The method in claim 27 in which said light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 34. The method in claim 25 in which said curable resin is cured in less than one second.
- 35. The method of claim 25 in which said curable resin is less than halfway cured to form a pellicle over said energy absorbing coating before directing said pulse of coherent energy to said energy absorbing coating.
- 36. A method of laser peening, comprising:
mixing an energy absorbing coating with a curable resin; applying said mixture coating to a portion of a surface of a solid material; and directing a pulse of coherent energy to said mixture coated portion of the solid material to create a shockwave.
- 37. The method of claim 36 in which after said pulse of coherent energy is directed to said coated portion of the solid material, a high-speed jet of fluid is directed to said surface of the solid material to clean a portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 38. The method of claim 36 further comprising applying light to said curable resin.
- 39. The method of claim 36 in which said method is repeated to another portion of said surface of the solid material.
- 40. The method of claim 38 in which said light is ultraviolet and said curable resin is cured when exposed to said ultraviolet light.
- 41. The method of claim 36 in which said energy absorbing coating is paint.
- 42. The method of claim 37 in which all of the steps are timed and controlled by an electronic processor.
- 43. The method of claim 36 in which the pulse of coherent energy is provided by a laser.
- 44. The method in claim 38 in which said light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 45. The method in claim 36 in which said curable resin is cured in less than one second.
- 46. The method of claim 36 in which said curable resin is less than halfway cured to form a pellicle over said energy absorbing coating before directing said pulse of coherent energy to said energy absorbing coating.
- 47. A method of laser shot peening, comprising:
mixing a wet energy absorbing coating with a curable resin; applying said mixture coating to a portion of a surface of a solid material; and directing a pulse of coherent energy to said mixture coated portion of the solid material to create a shockwave.
- 48. An apparatus for laser shot peening, comprising:
a material applicator for applying an energy absorbing material onto a workpiece to create a coated portion; a curable resin applicator for applying a curable resin to said energy absorbing material on said workpiece; a transparent overlay applicator for applying a transparent overlay to said curable resin on said workpiece; a laser to provide a laser beam through the transparent overlay to create a shockwave on the workpiece; a positioning mechanism to selectively position the workpiece relative to said material applicator, said curable resin applicator, said transparent overlay applicator, and said laser; and a control unit operatively associated with each of said applicators and said laser, to control the operation and timing of each said applicator and said laser.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 48 further comprising a light applicator for applying light to said curable resin, said light applicator operatively associated with said control unit.
- 50. The apparatus of claim 49 in which said light applicator emits ultraviolet light.
- 51. The apparatus of claim 49 in which said light applicator applies light having a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 52. The apparatus of claim 48 in which said control unit is a programmable personal computer.
- 53. The apparatus of claim 48 further in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece so that the process cycle occurs on another location of the workpiece.
- 54. The apparatus of claim 48 in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece between said applicators.
- 55. The apparatus of claim 48 further comprising a laser peening chamber, portions of said applicators and said positioning mechanism located within said laser peening chamber to operatively engage the workpiece.
- 56. An apparatus for laser shot peening, comprising:
a material applicator for applying an energy absorbing material onto a workpiece to create a coated portion; a curable resin applicator for applying a curable resin to said energy absorbing material on said workpiece; a laser to provide a laser beam through the resin to create a shockwave on the workpiece; a positioning mechanism to selectively position the workpiece relative to said material applicator, said resin applicator, and said laser; and a control unit operatively associated with each of said applicators and said laser, to control the operation and timing of each said applicator and said laser.
- 57. The apparatus of claim 56 further comprising a light applicator for applying light to said curable resin, said light applicator operatively associated with said control unit.
- 58. The apparatus of claim 56 in which said control unit is a programmable personal computer.
- 59. The apparatus of claim 56 further in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece so that the process cycle occurs on another location of the workpiece.
- 60. The apparatus of claim 56 in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece between said applicators.
- 61. The apparatus of claim 56 further comprising a laser peening chamber, portions of said applicators, and said positioning mechanism located within said laser peening chamber to operatively engage the workpiece.
- 62. An apparatus for laser shot peening, comprising:
a material applicator for applying a mixture of an energy absorbing material and a curable onto a workpiece to create a coated portion; a transparent overlay applicator for applying a transparent overlay to said mixture of said workpiece; a laser to provide a laser beam through the mixture to create a shockwave on the workpiece; a positioning mechanism to selectively position the workpiece relative to said material applicator and said laser; and a control unit operatively associated with said applicator and said laser, to control the operation and timing of said applicator and said laser.
- 63. The apparatus of claim 62 further comprising a light applicator for applying light to said curable resin, said light applicator operatively associated with said control unit.
- 64. The apparatus of claim 62 in which said light applicator emits ultraviolet light.
- 65. The apparatus of claim 62 in which said light applicator applies light having a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 66. The apparatus of claim 62 in which said control unit is a programmable personal computer.
- 67. The apparatus of claim 62 further in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece so that the process cycle occurs on another location of the workpiece.
- 68. The apparatus of claim 62 in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece between said applicators.
- 69. The apparatus of claim 62 further comprising a laser peening chamber, portions of said applicators and said positioning mechanism located within said laser peening chamber to operatively engage the workpiece.
- 70. An apparatus for laser shot peening, comprising:
a material applicator for applying a mixture of an energy absorbing material and a curable resin onto a workpiece to create a coated portion; a laser to provide a laser beam through the mixture to create a shockwave on the workpiece; a positioning mechanism to selectively position the workpiece relative to said material applicator and said laser; and a control unit operatively associated with said applicator and said laser, to control the operation and timing of said applicator and said laser.
- 71. The apparatus of claim 70 further comprising a light applicator for applying light to said curable resin, said light applicator operatively associated with said control unit.
- 72. The apparatus of claim 70 in which said control unit is a programmable personal computer.
- 73. The apparatus of claim 70 further in which said positioning mechanism indexes the workpiece so that the process cycle occurs on another location of the workpiece.
- 74. The apparatus of claim 70 further comprising a laser peening chamber, portions of said applicator and said positioning mechanism located within said laser peening chamber to operatively engage the workpiece.
- 75. The apparatus of claim 57 in which said light applicator emits ultraviolet light.
- 76. The apparatus of claim 57 in which said light applicator applies light having a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
- 77. The apparatus of claim 71 in which said light applicator emits ultraviolet light.
- 78. The apparatus of claim 71 in which said light applicator applies light having a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 450 nm and an amplitude in the range of 1 W/cm2 to 60 W/cm2.
CONTINUATION APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This is a divisional of patent application Ser. No. 09/911,070 filed on Jul. 23, 2001, the disclosure of which is herein explicitly incorporated by reference.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09911070 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10372520 |
Feb 2003 |
US |