Patents by Inventor Tim Hess

Tim Hess has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230256540
    Abstract: A method for laser welding two workpieces includes arranging a first workpiece of a thickness D1 and a second workpiece of a thickness D2 on top of one another so that the first workpiece and the second workpiece overlap in a region of overlap. Each of D1 and D2 is 400 ?m or less. The method further includes melting, using a laser beam guided along a weld seam, a material of the first workpiece over an entirety of the thickness D1 and a material of the second workpiece over only a partial thickness TD of the thickness D2 in the region of overlap, from a side of the first workpiece. The laser beam generates a vapor capillary that extends to a capillary depth KT into the first workpiece or into the first workpiece and the second workpiece, where 0.33*EST?KT?0.67*EST, with EST being a weld depth EST=D1+TD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Oliver Bocksrocker, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20230219170
    Abstract: A method for stripping a rod-shaped conductor using laser radiation is provided. The rod-shaped conductor includes an electrically conductive core and a coating that is at least partially transparent to the laser radiation. The method includes traversing the conductor for a first time with at least one laser beam to at least partially reduce transparency of the coating, and traversing the conductor for a second time with the at least one laser beam to at least partially reduce adhesion of the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Oliver Bocksrocker, Christoph Neugebauer, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20230150055
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a laser welding process for welding two workpieces using a laser wavelength, in which a pulsed laser beam is directed into the workpieces so as to melt a melting volume in a region of an interface of the two workpieces in order to produce a weld seam, and in which an intensity of a process radiation emitted by the melting volume is detected. According to the method for monitoring the lase welding process, in a first step, a detected intensity profile is evaluated with regard to at least one of the following features: (i) a depth of an intensity decrease, (ii) a duration of an intensity decrease, and (iii) a renewed increase in intensity after an intensity decrease. In a second step it is determined whether or not a gap between the two workpieces was bridged during the laser welding process based on the evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Tim Hesse, Sebastian Hecker
  • Publication number: 20230146425
    Abstract: A material deposition unit includes a radiation unit designed to emit electromagnetic radiation in a directed manner onto a workpiece along a beam axis, and a powder discharge device that has multiple powder discharge units configured to discharge powder in a directed form onto the workpiece through powder-outlet openings. The material deposition unit further includes a powder division unit having multiple powder channels. A number of powder channels corresponds to a number of powder discharge units. The powder division unit is designed to distribute a central powder stream guided to a feed channel uniformly over the powder channels. Each respective powder channel is connected to a respective powder discharge unit by an exchangeable connecting element. At least one powder discharge unit has an exchangeable powder discharge element, which is elongate, has a first end and a second end, and is arranged at least partially within the corresponding powder discharge unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Ganter, Tim Hesse, Kevin Kruse, Gerhard Link, Steven Mueller, Marco Opitz, Bjoern Sautter, Fabian Goetzelmann, Nicolai Speker, Franziska Horer, Anh-Thu Tran, Benedikt Wessinger
  • Publication number: 20230111969
    Abstract: A method for laser cutting a workpiece having a thickness of less than 6 mm includes the steps of directing a first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a gas jet at an entrance surface of the workpiece such that the first and second laser beams at least partially overlap one another on the workpiece. The first laser beam has a smaller focus diameter than the second laser beam, a beam parameter product of the first laser beam is at most 5 mm*mrad, and a power proportion of the second laser beam of a total laser power is less than 20%. A cutting kerf with a broken cutting edge is formed on the entrance surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Hamza Dounassre, Tim Hesse, Olga Kramlich, Johannes Seebach, Nicolai Speker
  • Publication number: 20230001513
    Abstract: A method for laser welding two coated workpieces includes positioning an upper workpiece and a lower workpiece on top of each other and passing a first laser beam over the upper and lower workpieces from a side of the upper workpiece so as to at least partially evaporate the respective coating of each of the workpieces on their facing sides along a depletion trace. A second laser beam is passed over the workpieces from the side of the upper workpiece so as to melt a material of the two workpieces within the depletion trace, and thereby weld the workpieces to one another. In the first laser passing, the first laser beam melts the material of the upper workpiece, so that a web of non-melted material of the upper workpiece remaining between the melted material of the upper workpiece and the facing side of the upper workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Johannes Seebach, Nicolai Speker, Adrian Wolf, Tim Hesse
  • Patent number: 11517978
    Abstract: A method for cutting workpieces of different thicknesses includes providing at least one unprocessed laser beam, selectively forming a processing laser beam from the at least one unprocessed laser beam in accordance with a thickness of the workpiece, and cutting the workpiece with the processing laser beam. Forming the processing laser beam includes selectively coupling one or more unprocessed laser beams into one or more of a plurality of parallel, non-concentric fibers of a compound fiber, the plurality of fibers of the compound fiber having different cross-sectional shapes. A laser beam characteristic of the processing laser beam exiting the compound fiber differs depending upon which fibers of the compound fiber receive the at least one unprocessed laser beam, the laser beam characteristic of the processing laser beam differing depending on the thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tim Hesse, Tobias Kaiser
  • Patent number: 11491583
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for controlling a cutting process in which a workpiece is cut by a high-energy beam. A process light signal is detected emanating from an interaction region of the high-energy beam with the workpiece in a first wavelength range (??1), in which at least one metallic constituent (Fe, Cr) of the workpiece has at least one emission line, and in a second wavelength range (??2), which differs from the first wavelength range, in which continuum radiation of the workpiece without emission lines is detectable. Vaporization of the at least one metallic constituent (Fe, Cr) is monitored on the basis of an intensity of the process light signal detected in the first wavelength range (??1) and on the basis of an intensity of the process light signal detected in the second wavelength range (??2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Oliver Bocksrocker, Stefanie Epple, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20220203470
    Abstract: A method for laser soldering includes selecting a copper-containing material as a filler material, supplying the filler material at a butt joint of two components, and melting the filler material in a main process zone by means of laser radiation in an advancement direction. The filler material in the main process zone is melted by means of laser radiation of a wavelength ?H in the blue or green spectral range with 400 nm??H?600 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Oliver Bocksrocker, Nicolai Speker, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20220166296
    Abstract: A method for joining copper hairpins includes providing at least two ends to be joined to one another of the copper hairpins, and joining the copper hairpins. The copper hairpins are joined by laser beam welding with a machining beam having a wavelength of less than 1000 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Tim Hesse, Oliver Bocksrocker
  • Publication number: 20220126396
    Abstract: A laser welding optical apparatus includes: a laser beam source; a collimation optical unit collimating the provided laser beam; a beam splitter splitting the collimated laser beam into partial beams, the beam splitter having a first setting facility, which variably sets the splitting of the collimated laser; and a focusing optical unit focusing the partial beams onto the welding workpiece The laser beam source has a multiclad fiber having a core and ring fiber, and a second setting facility, which variably splits an input laser beam at an end of the multiclad fiber between the core and ring fiber. A second end of the multiclad fiber provides the laser beam for the collimation optical unit. The beam splitter splits the collimated laser beam among two leading and trailing partial beams. The first setting facility sets the energy distribution between the leading and the trailing partial beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Flamm, Patrick Haug, Tim Hesse
  • Patent number: 11229973
    Abstract: Methods for determining the quality of a weld of a workpiece welded by laser-beam welding, wherein at least a partial region of a molten pool and/or of a surrounding area of the molten pool is observed by means of a measuring system during the laser-beam welding and the quality of the weld of the welded workpiece is determined on the basis of the observation result. At least one characteristic value that correlates with molten pool oscillation of the molten pool is observed during the laser-beam welding and a measure of an amplitude of the molten pool oscillation and/or a measure of a frequency of the molten pool oscillation is determined from the observed time curve of the characteristic value. A probability and/or a frequency for the occurrence of hot cracks at the weld of the workpiece is inferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Haug, Tim Hesse, Steffen Kessler, Marcel Schäfer, Philipp Scheible
  • Patent number: 11135675
    Abstract: This disclosure describes laser machining head gas nozzles that have an exit opening for passage of a laser beam onto a workpiece; an annular gap surrounding the exit opening; and a sleeve disposed and guided displaceably within the annular gap for axial displacement between a rearward and a forward position. The sleeve projects beyond the exit opening at least in the forward position, and the sleeve is tiltably mounted in the annular gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Bea, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20210260690
    Abstract: Laser beam welding a workpiece includes: generating first and second beam areas on the workpiece by first and second laser beams, respectively. The beam areas are guided in a feed direction relative to the workpiece. Centroids of the beam areas are not coinciding. The first beam area runs ahead of the second beam area. A length of the first beam area, measured transversely to the feed direction, is greater than or equal to that of the second. A surface area of the first beam area is greater than that of the second. A width of the first beam area, measured in the feed direction, is greater than or equal to that of the second. A laser power of the first laser beam is greater than that of the second. The second laser beam is irradiated into a weld pool generated by the first laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Patrick Haug, Nicolai Speker, Marco Opitz, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20210260698
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for monitoring a welding process for welding at least one glass workpiece to another workpiece, e.g., also made of glass, wherein a weld seam is formed in the workpieces in a process zone that is exposed to a pulsed processing beam, e.g., to a pulsed laser beam, such as an ultra-short-pulse laser beam, wherein the radiation emitted by the process zone is detected in a time-resolved manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Sebastian Hecker, Tim Hesse, Michael Scharun, Manuel Schindler, Kristian Alber
  • Publication number: 20210260700
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for monitoring a welding process for welding at least one glass workpiece to another workpiece, the workpieces being welded together in a process zone that is exposed to a processing beam, e.g., to a laser beam, such as an ultra-short-pulse laser beam, wherein radiation emitted by the process zone and originating from at least one of the workpieces is detected in a spatially resolved manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Sebastian Hecker, Tim Hesse
  • Publication number: 20210178516
    Abstract: This disclosure describes laser machining head gas nozzles that have an exit opening for passage of a laser beam onto a workpiece; an annular gap surrounding the exit opening; and a sleeve disposed and guided displaceably within the annular gap for axial displacement between a rearward and a forward position. The sleeve projects beyond the exit opening at least in the forward position, and the sleeve is tiltably mounted in the annular gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Martin Bea, Tim Hesse
  • Patent number: 10888954
    Abstract: An example device for monitoring and controlling a laser cutting process on a workpiece includes an image capturing apparatus for capturing an image of a region of the workpiece to be monitored, in which the region of the workpiece to be monitored includes a region of interaction of a laser beam with the workpiece, and an evaluation apparatus for detecting material boundaries of the workpiece using the captured image. The evaluation apparatus is configured to determine at least one characteristic value of the laser cutting process based on a geometric relationship between at least two of the detected material boundaries, the region of interaction, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tim Hesse, David Schindhelm
  • Publication number: 20200361028
    Abstract: This disclosure describes laser machining head gas nozzles that have an exit opening for passage of a laser beam onto a workpiece; an annular gap surrounding the exit opening; and a sleeve disposed and guided displaceably within the annular gap for axial displacement between a rearward and a forward position. The sleeve projects beyond the exit opening at least in the forward position, and the sleeve is tiltably mounted in the annular gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Martin Bea, Tim Hesse
  • Patent number: 10751836
    Abstract: This disclosure describes laser machining head gas nozzles that have an exit opening for passage of a laser beam onto a workpiece; an annular gap surrounding the exit opening; and a sleeve disposed and guided displaceably within the annular gap for axial displacement between a rearward and a forward position. The sleeve projects beyond the exit opening at least in the forward position, and the sleeve is tiltably mounted in the annular gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Bea, Tim Hesse