Volume heat treatment method and related system

1 . A method for volume heat treating a part having an external surface delimiting its volume,

the method comprising the following steps:

a. providing a laser source;

b. providing the part, the part consists of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than 10 W·m −1 ·° C. −1 and the volume of the part is between 0.01 mm 3 and 5 cm 3 ;

c. providing a support mechanism for supporting the part;

d. placing said part so that it is held in position by the support mechanism; and

e. volume heat treating the part by irradiating with the laser source at least one segment of the external surface of the part with a laser exposure power and duration to obtain a temperature rise in essentially the entire volume of the part, the temperature rise of the part ( 2 ) is realized by a single step of irradiation of the part ( 2 ) and the irradiation being adapted to impose a homogeneous temperature in the entire volume of the part ( 22 ).

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the step e., the following step:

f. stopping the irradiation of the step e. to cool the part.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , the method being a method for volume quenching the part, in that

the step e. allows to induce a structural change in the material constituting the part, and in that

the step f. is adapted to freeze the material constituting the part in a structure different from the one it had before the irradiation in the step e.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser source is configured to emit a collimated light beam, and to irradiate in the step e. the at least one segment of the external surface of said part with the collimated light beam.

5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step f. further comprises an action of directing a fluid in the direction of the part to cool it by convection.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism have a flat support surface for supporting the part.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism comprise a refractory material.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism comprise a material having a thermal conductivity less than 20 W·m −1 ·° C. −1 .

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein there is a contact surface between the part and the support mechanism, the contact surface having a surface area of less than 10% of the surface area of the external surface.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part consists of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than 35 W·m −1 ·° C. −1 the volume of the part is between 0.1 mm 3 and 500 mm 3 ;

or between 1 mm 3 and 100 mm 3 ; and

the part has a specific surface of between 0.01 mm −1 and 150 mm −1 .

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the external surface consists of a first and a second segments of the external surface, and in that

the step e. is to irradiate only the first segment of the external surface with a laser power and exposure duration to have a substantially equal temperature between the first and second segments of the external surface.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the external surface comprises a first and a second segments of the external surface, and in that

the step e. consists of irradiating the first and second segments of the external surface.

13 . A method for volume heat treating a part having an external surface delimiting its volume, comprising the following steps:

a. providing a laser source;

b. providing the part;

c. providing support mechanism for supporting the part;

d. placing said part so that it is held in position by the support mechanism;

e. irradiating with the laser source at least one segment of the external surface of the part with an annealing laser exposure power;

f. cooling the part after heating it to an annealing temperature in the previous step to a temperature less than 100° C.;

g. irradiating with the laser source at least one segment of the external surface of the part with an annealing laser exposure power that is less than the laser exposure power used in the step e.; and

h. cooling the part after heating it to an annealing temperature in the previous step to a temperature less than 100° C.

14 . A method for volume heat treating a part having an external surface delimiting its volume, comprising the following steps:

a. providing a laser source;

b. providing the part;

c. providing support mechanism for supporting the part;

d. placing said part so that it is held in position by the support mechanism;

e. irradiating with the laser source at least one segment of the external surface of the part with a laser exposure power and duration to obtain a temperature rise in essentially the entire volume of the part;

f. stopping the irradiation of the step e. to cool the part;

and

g. irradiating with the laser source at least one segment of the external surface of the part with a tempering laser exposure power which is less than the laser exposure power used in the step e. for the quenching.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism has a degree of heat insulation between them and the part.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism comprises a material having a thermal conductivity less than 5 W·m −1 ·° C. −1 .

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein there is a contact surface between the part and the support mechanism, the contact surface having a surface area of less than 1% of the surface area of the external surface.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part consists of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than 50 W·m −1 ° C. −1 ;

the volume of the part is between 1 mm 3 and 100 mm 3 ; and

the part has a specific surface of between 0.1 mm −1 and 100 mm −1 .