Laser drilling with optical feedback

Patent 6201214 Issued on March 13, 2001. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 19, 2019. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Duffin, Jason E.

Application

No. 295116 filed on 04/19/1999

US Classes:

219/121.71, Methods219/121.66, Methods219/121.72, Methods219/121.78, Beam position control219/121.79, Path adjustment219/121.81, Condition responsive219/121.82, Workpiece position control219/121.83With monitoring

Examiners

Primary: Ryan, Patrick
Assistant: Cooke, Colleen P.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Buchanan Ingersoll, P.C.

Foreign Patent References

0 344 339 EP. 06/19/1989
0937532A1 EP. 08/19/1999
2 113 592 GB. 10/19/1983

International Classes

B23K 026/00
B23K 026/02
B23K 026/04
B23K 026/08
B23K 026/10

Abstract

The invention provides a method of drilling holes sequentially through a workpiece using a laser gun with a camera positioned axially in-line with the drilling beam of the laser gun. Each image from the camera is analysed by digital image processing techniques to control the positioning of the laser nozzle relative to the workpiece and/or to compensate for errors produced in previously drilled holes. By feedback from the digitally processed images it is possible to repeat the auto-focusing of the laser automatically throughout the drilling of a large number of holes in the same workpiece, to adjust the drilling of subsequent holes in order to bring the hole characteristics closed to a predefined optimum, or to abort work on a particular workpiece if hole diameters exceed a given tolerance range.