EP-4735202-A2 - SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR BONDED FASTENER INSTALLATION

Abstract

A laser ablation containment system includes a laser chamber having a Class IM or higher rated laser integrated therewith and a cleaning chamber coupled with the laser chamber and aligned therewith to selectively receive a beam generated by the Class IM or higher rated laser. The cleaning chamber includes a header selectively movable between a first position exposing an interior of the cleaning chamber for placement of a substrate therein and a second position securely closing the interior of the cleaning chamber to form a Class 1 certified laser operable enclosure in cooperation with the laser chamber, all of which may be integrated into a portable workstation.

Inventors

• BALLATORE-SOUTH, Julian
• KRANTZ, Logan
• BALUYUT, Reuel
• KAPCZYNSKI, Andrew
• JOHNSON, NATHANIEL
• JOHNSON, MICHAEL
• YANOSKA, Joseph
• PINHEIRO, RODRIGO

Assignees

• Physical Systems, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240701

Claims (20)

1. [Claim 1] A laser ablation containment system, comprising: a laser chamber having a Class IM or higher rated laser integrated therewith; a cleaning chamber coupled with the laser chamber and aligned therewith to selectively receive a beam generated by the Class IM or higher rated laser, the cleaning chamber including a header selectively movable between a first position exposing an interior of the cleaning chamber for placement of a substrate therein and a second position securely closing the interior of the cleaning chamber to form a Class 1 certified laser operable enclosure in cooperation with the laser chamber.
2. [Claim 2] The system of claim 1, wherein the laser chamber and the cleaning chamber are integrated as part of a portable roller station.
3. [Claim 3] The system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning chamber and the laser chamber are coupled with a robotic arm movable to selectively position the header against the substrate to form the enclosure therewith.
4. [Claim 4] The system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning chamber is in fluid communication with a debris removal chamber.
5. [Claim 5] The system of claim 1, including a gripper having a pair of actuating fingers positioned underneath an umbrella and operable to selectively pick-and-place the substrate within the enclosure formed by sealing engagement of the umbrella with a sealing rim.
6. [Claim 6] The system of claim 5, wherein the umbrella is slidable along an axis normal to a focal lens of the Class IM or higher rated laser mounted within the laser chamber.
7. [Claim 7] The system of claim 5, including a proximity sensor positioned to identify when umbrella is seated on the sealing rim.
8. [Claim 8] The system of claim 1 , wherein the header includes an outwardly projecting compressible liner forming at least part of an outer perimeter of the enclosure.
9. [Claim 9] The system of claim 1, including at least one sensor measuring pressure or light within the enclosure.
10. [Claim 10] The system of claim 1, including a selectively removable and replaceable protective lens selectively positionable within a slot substantially sealing off the laser chamber from the cleaning chamber.
11. [Claim 11] The system of claim 10, wherein the protective lens is carried by a lens holder having a front channel providing access to the protective lens when removed from the slot, the front channel being flush with an inner sidewall of the cleaning chamber when in the slot, thereby locking the protective lens therein.
12. [Claim 12] The system of claim 1, wherein the header comprises a clamp having a base with a lower sealing member upwardly extending therefrom that cooperates with an upper sealing member to form the enclosure in between when the header is in the second position.
13. [Claim 13] The system of claim 12, wherein the lower sealing member comprises a foam or rubber material and is movable relative to the upper sealing member comprising a foam or rubber material by a linear actuator or a pneumatic piston.
14. [Claim 14] The system of claim 1, wherein the laser chamber is offset relative to the cleaning chamber by an angle between 90° and 180°.
15. [Claim 15] The system of claim 1, including a mirror or a prism located within one of the laser chamber or the cleaning chamber and positioned to receive and redirect the beam by up to an offset of 180°.
16. [Claim 16] The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the mirror or the prism is mounted to a pivot and rcpositionablc in real-time within one of the laser chamber or the cleaning chamber.
17. [Claim 17] The system of claim 16, wherein the pivot comprises a single plane pivot, a multiplane pivot, or a ball-and-socket pivot.
18. [Claim 18] The system of claim 1, including a bracket inwardly projecting from an inner sidewall of the cleaning chamber forming a gap in between for select seated reception of an elastomeric fixture downwardly protruding from a nutplate.
19. [Claim 19] The system of claim 1, wherein the Class IM or higher rated laser comprises a Class 4 laser.
20. [Claim 20] A debris containment system, comprising: a conduit for delivering a pressurized fluid to a cleaning chamber; and an outlet coupled with the conduit and positioned to direct the pressurized fluid substantially across an interior channel of the cleaning chamber as an air curtain thereacross substantially preventing debris on one side of the interior channel of the cleaning chamber from crossing the air curtain to another side of the interior channel of the cleaning chamber.

Description

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR BONDED FASTENER INSTALLATION DESCRIPTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [Para 1] The present invention generally relates to systems and processes for bonded fastener installation. In general, the systems and processes for bonded fastener installation as disclosed herein are designed to prepare a fastener and/or substrate for bonding, apply adhesive to the fastener, and/or install the fastener onto a substrate/sub-assembly with a high-quality bond. [Para 2] Surface preparation is a critical step in achieving a durable adhesive bond to a substrate because the efficacy of the bond relies heavily on the quality or cleanliness of the surface preparation of the substrate. Conventional methods for substrate surface preparation have typically involved manual abrasion of a substrate or surface using abrasive materials such as sandpaper, grinders, or scouring pads designed to remove oxide and contaminant layers deposited thereon. Alternatively, chemicals such as acetone may be used to manually scrub a surface to remove debris and paint by way of chemically breaking down unwanted particles from the substrate. Manual processes tend to be relatively laborious, time consuming, and produce mixed and/or inconsistent results at the surface or substrate being treated due to inconsistencies related to the abrasive materials used and human application. [Para 3] Moreover, more highly automated techniques such as abrasive grit blasting and/or solvent-blasting chemical processes may be more efficient, but they tend to generate a considerable amount of waste as the ablating materials (e.g., the substrate grinding material, such as the grit and/or solvent) and the foreign material ablated from the substrate intermix and create a source of secondary waste and/or chemicals that are generally hazardous to personnel and the environment. Environmental regulations have been put in place to restrict the use of hazardous chemicals and high waste disposal costs have placed an emphasis on minimizing the amount of secondary waste generated during contaminant removal. This is in addition to the fact that these manual techniques are also laborious and time-consuming processes, and human implementation again results in varying degrees of uniformity across the treated substrates and surfaces. [Para 4] More recent laser ablation processes are generally considered enhancements over the above-mentioned mechanical and/or chemical removal processes. In this respect, laser ablation is a process for removing surface material and debris through use of a high intensity laser light beam that irradiates a substrate. The laser generates a focused beam having a power density sufficient for absorption into the subject substrate to create a plasma plume and shock waves that effectively disrupt foreign material adhered or otherwise attached to the substrate, for effective dislodgment and ejection into the surrounding environment as debris. Most laser-based processes are automated, thereby saving on manual labor costs with respect to manual sandpaper or grit blasting processes mentioned above. Moreover, laser-based ablation creates less waste because the process does not use mechanical abrasive grit or potentially harmful chemicals to remove the foreign materials from the substrate. As such, laser-ablation processes help minimize the environmental impact by reducing the amount of secondary waste generated. [Para 5] In one prior art reference, U.S. Patent No. 5,780,806 to Ferguson, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a laser ablation system and method for decontaminating surfaces therewith. Ferguson more specifically discloses a laser ablation system that includes a laser, a flexible fiber optic cable optically coupled to the laser to transmit laser light for ablating or decontaminating a surface, and an output optics assembly that includes a nozzle through which the laser light passes. The assembly further includes an exhaust tube generally in communication with the nozzle along with a blower that generates a vacuum within the exhaust tube. In operation, the laser ablation system generates an acousto-optic, Q- switched Nd:YAG laser light to produce an irradiance greater than IxlO7 W/cm2, and a pulse width between 80 and 170 nanoseconds (“ns”) to ablate foreign substances off the substrate. Ablating the substrate surface with such an irradiance is typically effective at removing debris thereon, which is then removed therefrom by the vacuum exhaust tube. Even so, Ferguson does not appear to include an air knife or curtain protecting the laser protective cover, or a structure that allows easy replacement of the protective cover after extensive use. [Para 6] Additionally, the National Robotics Engineering Center (“NREC”) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania co-developed an Advanced Robotic Laser Coating Removal System (“ARLCRS”) with Concurrent Technologies Corporation (“C