Flexible and Reconfigurable Laser Processing Tool (FlexLase)

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Laser processing of metals and alloys is extensively used in modern manufacturing for various applications includingdrilling, cutting, welding, surface modification, etc. Industrial robots are currently used for some laser processingapplications like cutting and welding where the allowable tolerance limit is around 100 micron. However, applications likelaser drilling requires a positional accuracy around 20-25 microns which is not feasible with existing robotic systems andhence is mostly performed using expensive CNC based systems. This project aims to develop a flexible robotic laserprocessing system which can have a position accuracy of less than 20 micron, and that can be used for most laserapplications including laser drilling.By exploiting the speed and precision of modern CCD cameras, the positional error of the robot will be calculated based onthe coordinates (of the laser interaction point and a reference point) obtained from the CCD camera. The CCD camera willbe co-axial to the nozzle exit. The positional error calculated by the vision system will be compensated by offsetting thelaser beam and nozzle position, through a novel mirror and optical assembly.The project will initially undertake proof-of-principle experiments to establish the positional error from the CCD cameraimage. A new algorithm will be developed to extract the real-time positional error from the CCD camera image and tofacilitate compensation of the error by offsetting the laser beam position. National Instruments (NI) real-time module alongwith a NI CompactRIO system will be used to achieve the required cycle time (less than 10ms). Finally, the CCD cameraand the software will be integrated with the robot and the nozzle assembly, to achieve a truly flexible manufacturingsystem.The immediate application will be on robotic laser drilling of aerospace combustion chambers. It is expected that theFlexLase system will be more accurate and affordable than the systems at present and that it will also open the door forexciting new robotic applications in bio-technology and semiconductor industries.