Laser/EDM drilling manufacturing cell

Claim 2

In a dual drilling process for forming a finished precision hole through a part having a wall with an inside surface defining an internal cavity, the improvement comprising: high speed laser drilling the wall by focusing a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a right cylindrical passage from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 3

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall and an interior cavity bounded by the wall, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; means for shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; and means for removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a right cylindrical passage from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 4

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall and an interior cavity bounded by the wall, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; means for shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; and means for removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a right cylindrical passage from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 5

In the process of claim 2, electrical spark machining the undersized hole by the steps of selecting an electrode of right circular cross-section of a diameter less than the undersized hole and of a length greater than that of the undersized hole and progressively feeding the electrode from the exterior end of the undersized hole to the interior end thereof while applying current between the electrode and the wall to progressively shape the irregularly formed hole as a right cylindrical passage from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the wall.

Claim 6

In the process of claim 3, selecting an annular space between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole dimensioned to define a continuously progressively advancing annular axial passage from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the wall for uniformly constant flow of electrolyte through the wall for flushing spark erosion particles from the irregularly formed undersized hole as the electrode progressively advances therein so as to produce a precise right cylindrical passage through the wall.

Claim 7

In the apparatus of claim 2, said laser means including a laser head and said electrical discharge means including a wire feed head; said laser head and said wire feed head being located in a common plane and being angularly spaced with respect to one another.

Claim 8

In the process of claim 1, progressively feeding a wire electrode having a diameter less than that of the undersized hole through the undersized hole for shaping the irregular form thereof to a constant diameter right cylindrical passage from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the wall.

Claim 9

In a dual drilling process for forming a finished precision hole through a part having a wall with an inside surface defining an internal cavity, the improvement comprising: high speed laser drilling the wall by focusing a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 10

In a dual drilling process for forming a finished precision hole through a part having a wall with an inside surface defining an internal cavity, the improvement comprising: high speed laser drilling the wall by focusing a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 11

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall and an interior cavity bounded by the wall, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; means for shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; and means for removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode tip with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 12

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall and an interior cavity bounded by the wall, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall from the exterior thereof to the internal cavity while maintaining the internal cavity under ambient pressure conditions; means for shielding the surface of the internal cavity to prevent erosion thereof during the laser drilling step; and means for removing the shielding and sequentially aligning an electrode tip with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall of the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the wall.

Claim 13

In a dual drilling process for forming a finished precision hole through a wall with an imperforate segment and two surfaces, the improvement comprising: high speed laser drilling the wall by focusing a beam of laser energy on the imperforate segment of the wall to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall while maintaining the wall surfaces under ambient pressure conditions; aligning an electrode tip with respect to the undersized hole following laser drilling thereof and applying current between the electrode tip and the wall at the undersized hole and advancing the electrode toward the wall to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole through the wall.

Claim 14

In a dual drilling process for forming a finished precision hole through a wall with an imperforate segment and two surfaces, the improvement comprising: high speed laser drilling the wall by focusing a beam of laser energy on the imperforate segment of the wall to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall while maintaining the wall surfaces under ambient pressure conditions; aligning an electrode tip with respect to the undersized hole following laser drilling thereof and applying current between the electrode tip and the wall at the undersized hole and advancing the electrode toward the wall to spark erode a predetermined thickness of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole through the wall.

Claim 15

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall with two surface, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall while maintaining the two surfaces of the wall at ambient pressure conditions; an electrode in said electrical discharge machining means; means for sequentially aligning said electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall at the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined portion of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole therein to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole through the wall.

Claim 16

In apparatus for drilling precision small diameter holes in a part having a wall with two surface, the improvement comprising: machine base means; laser means and electrical discharge machining means on said machine base means; means for locating the wall sequentially first with respect to said laser means and then with respect to said electrical discharge machining means; means for controlling said laser means to focus a beam of laser energy on an imperforate segment of the wall part to form an undersized hole of irregular form through the wall while maintaining the two surfaces of the wall at ambient pressure conditions; an electrode in said electrical discharge machining means; means for sequentially aligning said electrode with respect to the undersized hole and applying current between the electrode and the wall at the undersized hole to spark erode a predetermined portion of the wall at the previously laser formed undersized hole therein to shape the irregularly formed undersized hole as a precision hole through the wall.