Description

The hot section parts in a gas turbine are subject to high working temperatures and mechanical forces. In order to endure the harsh conditions, these parts are generally made of nickel-based super alloys. Furthermore, micro holes are drilled on them to help with cooling by allowing the air to pass through. These holes increase the allowable working temperature and service life of the parts as well. Water jet guided laser is a technology that can be conveniently used for micro drilling operations on aerospace jet engine parts. It is a hybrid process, in which a laser beam is coupled with and guided through a thin cylindrical water jet. Pressurized water provides focusing, cooling and cleaning on the cut region, eliminating undesired side effects of the laser. The technology has many advantages over traditional laser machining, such as consistent focusing, burr-free cutting, minimized tapering, reduced heat affected zone and recast layer. In this paper, using the water jet guided laser, variation in process time and quality are studied on different aerospace nickel based super alloys. The results depend on the optical, thermophysical and mechanical properties of the processed materials. The experimental results are compared to each other and also correlated to the material properties.

Contributing Authors

  • Levent Subasi
    TUSAS Engine Industries Inc. | Middle East Technical University
  • Aydemir Gunaydin
    TUSAS Engine Industries Inc.
  • Cansinem Tuzemen
    TUSAS Engine Industries Inc.
  • Ozan C Ozaner
    TUSAS Engine Industries Inc.
  • Mustafa I Gokler
    Middle East Technical University
  • Ulas Yaman
    Middle East Technical University
  • Jeremie Diboine
    Synova SA
  • Ronan Martin
    Synova SA
Levent Subasi
TUSAS Engine Industries Inc. | Middle East Technical University
Track: Laser Materials Microprocessing
Session: On-demand Only
Date/Time:
Location:

Keywords

  • Aerospace
  • Laser Drilling
  • Micro Holes
  • Nickel-Based Alloys
  • Water Jet Assisted