Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for hardsurface cladding a workpiece such as a tip shroud notch face of a turbine bucket configured for contact engagement with an adjacent tip shroud notch face. A continuous wave laser beam is generated in a Nd:YAG laser and directed on the notch face at a spot to provide heat thereat. A hardsurface cladding wire is dispensed at the spot under a shielding gas for being melted by the laser beam to form a molten cladding layer on the notch face. The laser beam and wire are traversed over the notch face to form a cladding layer over the entire notch face, which is cooled and solidified in a hardsurface cladding layer integrally bonded to the notch face.

Abstract: In the present invention, a curvature variable reflector made from a material capable of elastically deforming in response to a fluid pressure is formed to a curved-face mirror by making use of a pressure by a fluid such as air so that a diameter of a laser beam coming into a converging optical member can be changed at a high speed step by step or smoothly. And by controlling the fluid pressure step by step or steplessly according to a type or thickness of a work, machining can always be performed with an appropriate laser beam diameter.

Abstract: A method of removing edges from an eyeless operating needle blank includes the steps of providing needle blanks having an end portion which defines a bore. Aligning the end portion, which defines a bore, longitudinally with a laser. The laser is fired such that radiation from the laser is incident on the end portion. The incident radiation from the laser forms rounded edges about the end portion.

Abstract: Laser beam machining is carried out by irradiating beforehand the laser beam along a final locus for a main machining, under such a condition as to obtain an energy density for making uniform a surface roughness of a work. Thereafter, the laser beam is irradiated to an area on which the surface has been smoothed, while changing only the energy density according to a cutting condition to cut the work.

Abstract: For the engraving of a pattern into the surface of a work piece by a laser beam which is directed onto the surface and controlled in its intensity in a location-dependent manner in dependence on the pattern, one surface area of a design pattern is, first of all, scanned optically or mechanically, and the surface information which is thus obtained is converted into electrical control signals. The laser beam is, by these control signals, controlled in a surface area which corresponds to the surface area of the design pattern. Different patterns can be engraved rapidly and easily by changing the design pattern. The scanning of the design pattern can be carried out finely and with high resolution, so that the engraving also has a correspondingly high resolution. The pattern of the design patterns can be as irregular as desired, so that complicated and irregular patterns can be engraved.

Abstract: The amount of laser energy absorbed by a dielectric material during laser fuse blow is increased by changing the angle at which the laser is transmitted. An increased angle of incidence will result in increased energy absorption at the top and edge of the device. This technique may eliminate the need for second pass fuse blow.

Abstract: In a welding electrode protecting machine, welding electrodes are protected against a surface treating agent on strips to be welded by applying a proper amount of electrode protecting agent onto surfaces of welding electrodes prior to or during welding operation.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for precision scoring a workpiece of variable thickness and/or shape in which the thickness of the workpiece at points along a trace pattern is first determined, and a variable depth groove is thereafter formed by laser scoring which is controlled in correspondence with the previously determined thickness values. These values can be determined by scanning opposite surfaces on the surface of a locating fixture and a surface of the workpiece. Robot manipulators are used for scanning and scoring, and the power of the laser and/or the trace velocity are controlled to vary the degree of scoring. The scoring is used to special advantage for precision preweakening of auto trim pieces for creating an air bag deployment opening.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a clamping force for automatically correcting a reference clamping force(Fi) vs. electric reference supply current(Ii) table for a servo-controlled welding gun on which a workpiece is clamped. The clamping force vs. electric current table is generated based on servo motor and welding gun design specifications, and stored in memory. A proportional coefficient(k) between the supply currents(Ii) and the clamping forces(Fi) is calculated from this table. Each reference supply current(Ii) in the table is actually supplied to the servo motor to measure an actual clamping force(fi). The actual clamping force(fi) is compared with the corresponding reference clamping force(Fi) for each reference supply current(Ii) in the table. If the absolute value of a difference between the actual and reference clamping forces(.vertline.Fi-fi.vertline.

Abstract: Conical separation discs of thin sheet metal intended for centrifugal separators have, as a rule, spacing members in the form of thin strips welded onto one of their sides. For avoiding local overheating of a separation disc, when a strip is to be welded onto the separation disc by roll welding, the strip is formed with at least one ridge extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip, the width of the ridge being substantially smaller than that of the strip. In this way, the contact area between the strip and the separation disc will become very small in the welding area, and only a limited amount of energy is needed for the welding.

Abstract: A repair line for repairing a closure defect in a metal tube containing at least one transmission optical fiber which includes a repair station having a tube conditioning system for bending and tensioning a portion of the tube including the defect and a laser for welding point by point along the defect with the minimum heat input at each point.

Abstract: A fixing heater includes a dielectric substrate, a resistor formed on the substrate and Laser-trimmed in a current flow direction, a slidable film, and backup member forming a nip with the film. The trimmed portion lies outside the nip.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline silicon thin film includes irradiating an amorphous silicon layer with laser light of an excimer laser energy density of 100 mJ/cm.sup.2 to 500 mJ/cm.sup.2, preferably 280 mJ/cm.sup.2 to 330 mJ/cm.sup.2, and a pulse width of 80 ns to 200 ns, preferably 140 ns to 200 ns, so as to directly anneal the amorphous silicon layer and form a polycrystalline silicon thin film. The total energy of the laser used for the irradiation of excimer laser light is at least 5 J, preferably at least 10 J. The laser device includes an homogenizer movably mounted at the end of the optical path of the laser beam.

Abstract: A device for electron beam processing of materials in space designed for the performance of the technical operations of welding, cutting, heating, filler welding, tube welding, brazing, coating deposition by the method of thermal evaporation of materials under vacuum by an operator in a spacesuit during EVA. The device includes a range of replaceable electron beam handtools, control and power supply modules, connection cables and a module for monitoring the condition of the device which is placed inside the space vehicle.

Abstract: In order to improve the quality of seam welding, an inverter seam resistance welding electric power supply apparatus reliably determines local weldability (conforming/defective) of seam welding by simply monitoring welding current. In a seam welding operation, when a current monitor time interval has elapsed, a CPU reads, from storage, measured current values ?I.sub.1 !, ?I.sub.2 !, etc., of each inverter cycle obtained during the current monitor time interval and computes an average current value ?I.sub.M1 ! thereof, according to an averaging method such as an arithmetic mean method. Then the CPU compares the average current value ?I.sub.M1 ! with a preselected monitoring value or range. If the average current value ?I.sub.M1 ! falls within the monitoring range, the CPU determines the occurrence of a conforming local welding whereas it determines the occurrence of a defective local welding if the average current value goes out of the monitoring range.

Abstract: The present invention features an improvement in the construction and manufacturing of small peripheral cartridges which plug into exterior slots of computer systems such as PCMCIA cards. The metal cover of a snap-together PCMCIA card is typically tack welded at its seams An inexpensive and highly accurate welding technique is presented for performing this welding operation. The inventive welding technique may be used without risk of damage to highly sensitive electronic components. The lap joint seam formed using the techniques exhibits the strength and stiffness characteristics that allow the size of welded seams to be minimized thereby also reducing the risk of burn-through or other damage to the cards during manufacturing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mask in which laser radiation is projected to a mask substrate of silicon and a supporting frame of heat resisting glass, while a voltage of about 1000-10000 V is applied between the mask substrate and the supporting frame. Cooling water is caused to flow to suppress temperature rise due to the irradiation, to maintain the mask substrate and the supporting frame at a predetermined normal temperature (about the mask temperature in a lithographic pattern transfer process). The light projecting step is performed for a period not shorter than 10 minutes whereby anodic bonding of the mask substrate with the supporting frame is achieved. This prevents a shift of the mask pattern and/or deformation of the mask substrate, and it assures the manufacture of a high precision mask.

Abstract: A rod-fed electron beam evaporation system having a rod-fed electron beam evaporation source for evaporating an ingot. The ingot is of rod-like configuration and has a peg-like element to self-engage a socket of a replacement ingot so that both ingot and replacement ingot are brought into alignment.

Abstract: A method and a device for the precision turning of a workpiece made of a heat-treatable steel permits a dry hard precision turning of hardened workpiece surfaces without tempering. In order also to allow precision turning and hardening of unhardened workpiece surfaces which are simultaneous in terms of production time, use is made of the local temporary heating of the workpiece caused by machining. The workpiece surface is heated further locally by the action of a laser beam, in the region directly behind the cutter, up to the transformation temperature of the material to be machined via an optical fiber integrated in the tool. The surface is then self-quenched and, as a result, hardened close to the surface. At the same time, the surface temperature at the point of action of the laser beam can be recorded thermographically and, this actual temperature signal can be used to adjust the power of the laser beam so as to maintain the desired temperature.

Abstract: A process for welding work pieces (10) with a laser beam that is focused n the work pieces (10) that are moved relative to it, and causes vaporization of the material, such that apart from the laser beam (11), an arc (12) is used in the area of the work pieces (10) that is struck by the laser beam. In order to improve the welding result, the process is undertaken in such a way that a work piece (10) with a laser-formed surface pathway that is free of dielectric substances, which pathway guides the arc (12) within a dielectric layer (15) that completely covers the remainder of the area of the weld (14), is used.