US 12,124,246 B2
Systems and methods for laser ablation of a surface
Fei Cai, Edmonds, WA (US); Paul Z. Thunemann, Seattle, WA (US); James N. Buttrick, Seattle, WA (US); Thomas A. Grandine, Seattle, WA (US); and Natalie G. Murray, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by THE BOEING COMPANY
Filed on Feb. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/651,507.
Prior Publication US 2023/0259104 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
Int. Cl. G05B 19/418 (2006.01); B23K 26/36 (2014.01); B23K 101/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/41815 (2013.01) [B23K 26/36 (2013.01); G05B 19/4188 (2013.01); G05B 19/41885 (2013.01); B23K 2101/006 (2018.08)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for laser ablation of a structural part, the apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and
processing circuitry configured to access the memory, and execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to at least:
access a digital model of the structural part;
tile the digital model into tiles that correspond to respective regions of the structural part, wherein the structural part includes a plurality of components;
consolidate the plurality of components in the digital model to construct a surface representation of the structural part, wherein the surface representation is tiled in the digital model, and wherein the surface representation of one or more of the respective regions are different from each other;
determine discrete tool paths of a machine tool for respective ones of the tiles for the laser ablation of the respective regions of the structural part, wherein the machine tool includes a laser; and
determine an orientation of the laser based on the surface representation of the respective regions as the machine tool travels the discrete tool paths to perform the laser ablation, wherein each orientation of the laser is selected to minimize deviation between a normal of a centroid of each of the respective regions, and a direction from the respective regions to the laser as the machine tool orients the laser according to a corresponding orientation for the respective one of the regions being ablated;
generate instructions for the machine tool to perform the laser ablation of the structural part according to the discrete tool paths.