Laser fillet welding

• US 20080118768A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turbine Overhaul Services Pte Ltd. (Japan Post Holdings Company Limited), United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation), Aventis Pharma Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Cheng, Kenny, Luah, Kok Hai
• Granted Patent: US 7,767,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/596
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/001 Turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/144 the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/24 Seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12361 having aperture or cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]

Abstract

A metal article and a method for welding the metal parts to form the metal article, where the method comprises feeding filler material to an intersection of the metal parts, and melting the filler material with a laser beam to form a weld between the metal parts at the intersection.

Claims

1. A method for welding a first metal part to a second metal part, the method comprising:

forming an intersection between the first metal part and the second metal part;

feeding filler material to the intersection; and

melting the filler material with a laser beam, thereby allowing the melted filler material to fuse to the first metal part and the second metal part to form a weld at the intersection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser beam has a focal point located at the intersection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the weld extends around an entire perimeter of the first metal part.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the weld has a penetration depth into the second metal part and a weld leg length from the first metal part, the penetration depth being less than about 25% of the weld leg length.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the penetration depth is less than about 10% of the weld leg length.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the intersection comprises positioning the first metal part flush with a surface of the second metal part.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filler material is provided in a medium selected from the group consisting of powders, granules, wire stock, and rod stock.

8. A method for welding a first metal part to a second metal part, the method comprising:

positioning an edge portion of the first metal part adjacent a surface of the second metal part;

feeding filler material onto the surface of the second metal part adjacent to the edge portion of the first metal part; and

melting the filler material with a laser beam to form a laser fillet weld between the edge portion of the first metal part and the surface of the second metal part.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the laser beam has a focal point that intersects the filler material.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the laser fillet weld extends around an entire perimeter of the first metal part.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the laser fillet weld has a penetration depth into the second metal part and a weld leg length from the first metal part, the penetration depth being less than about 25% of the weld leg length.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the penetration depth is less than about 10% of the weld leg length.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the filler material is provided in a medium selected from the group consisting of powders, granules, wire stock, and rod stock.

14. A metal article comprising:

a first metal part having a surface;

a second metal part having an edge portion disposed adjacent the surface of the first metal part; and

a laser fillet weld interconnecting the first metal part and the edge portion of the second metal part.

15. The metal article of claim 14, wherein the laser fillet weld secures the surface of the first metal part to the edge portion of the second metal part with a filler material.

16. The metal article of claim 14, wherein the first metal part is a blade root having an inlet aperture disposed within the surface, and wherein the second metal part is a meter plate secured over the inlet aperture.

17. The metal article of claim 16, wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of an end wall surface of the blade root and a front face surface of the blade root.

18. The metal article of claim 14, wherein the laser fillet weld has a penetration depth into the first metal part and a weld leg length from the edge portion of the second metal part, the penetration depth being less than about 25% of the weld leg length.

19. The metal article of claim 18, wherein the penetration depth is less than about 10% of the weld leg length.

20. The metal article of claim 14, wherein the laser fillet weld extends around an entire perimeter of the second metal part.