Coating ablating apparatus with coating removal detection
A laser-based coating removal apparatus to remove a coating from a surface without damaging the surface. The apparatus comprises a laser source to provide a laser light, a routing element coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the laser light onto a target region of the surface thereby removing the coating from the target region, and a detection element to detect the coating as the coating separates from the target region of the surface. The detection element is able to prevent the surface from being damaged by limiting or eliminating the laser light directed onto the target region after all the coating has been removed. The detection element is able to detect the separation of the coating from the target region by detecting incandescence, acoustic signature, motion, fluorescence and/or chemical properties produced by the separation of the coating from the surface.
1 . A laser-based coating removal apparatus to remove a coating from a surface, the apparatus comprising:
a. a laser source to provide a laser light for removing the coating from a target region of the surface;
b. a routing element coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the laser light onto a target region of the surface;
c. a detection element to detect the coating as the coating separates from the target region of the surface by inputting a signal received from the surface at the target region; and
d. a controller configured to adjust a current firing rate of the laser light based on the signal received from the surface at the target region, wherein the controller is able to adjust a length of a detection period of the detection element based on one or more characteristics of the surface in the target region.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal comprises data indicating one or more properties selected from the group consisting of the incandescence, acoustic signature, motion, fluorescence and chemical properties.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the routing element receives the signal from the surface and transmits the signal to the detection element such that the detection element is able to detect if the coating has separated from the surface.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an amount of energy per second directed onto the surface by the laser light is adjusted from a first non-zero amount to a second non-zero amount different than the first non-zero amount based on whether the detection element detects that the coating has separated from the surface in the target region.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein if the detection element does not detect the coating separating from the target region for the detection period, the controller coupled to the detection element decreases the rate at which the laser light is directed onto the target region to a non-zero preselected low value.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller is able to adjust the level of the non-zero preselected low value based on the one or more properties of the surface in the target region.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein if the detection element detects the coating has not yet separated from the surface in the target region for a duration while the amount of energy per second directed onto the target region by the laser light is equal to the non-zero preselected low value, the controller increases the amount of energy per second directed onto the target region by the laser light to the non-zero preselected high value.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the controller is able to adjust the level of the non-zero preselected high value based on the one or more properties of the surface in the target region.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the one or more properties of the surface in the target region comprise a temperature of the surface in the target region.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the non-zero preselected high value is equal to a maximum amount of energy per second produced when the laser light has a maximum intensity and frequency and the non-zero preselected low value is equal to a minimum amount of energy per second produced when the laser light has a non-zero minimum intensity and frequency.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the non-zero preselected high value and the non-zero preselected low value are proportional to each other such that if the non-zero preselected high or value rate is adjusted, the non-zero preselected low value is adjusted in proportion to the non-zero preselected high value and if the non-zero preselected low value is adjusted, the non-zero preselected high value is adjusted in proportion to the non-zero preselected low value.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the detection element divides the target region into a plurality of detection areas.
13 . A laser-based coating removal system comprising:
a. a surface having a coating; and
b. a laser-based removal apparatus comprising:
i. a laser source to provide a laser light for removing the coating from a target region of the surface;
ii. a routing element coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the laser light onto a target region of the surface;
iii. a detection element to detect the coating as the coating separates from the target region of the surface by inputting a signal received from the surface at the target region; and
iv. a controller configured to adjust a current firing rate of the laser light based on the signal received from the surface at the target region, wherein the controller is able to adjust a length of a detection period of the detection element based on one or more characteristics of the surface in the target region.
14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the signal comprises data indicating one or more properties selected from the group consisting of the incandescence, acoustic signature, motion, fluorescence and chemical properties.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the routing element receives the signal from the surface and transmits the signal to the detection element such that the detection element is able to detect if the coating has separated from the surface.
16 . The system of claim 13 wherein an amount of energy per second directed onto the surface by the laser light is adjusted from a first non-zero amount to a second non-zero amount different than the first non-zero amount based on whether the detection element detects that the coating has separated from the surface in the target region.
17 . The system of claim 13 wherein if the detection element does not detect the coating separating from the target region for the detection period, the controller coupled to the detection element decreases the rate at which the laser light is directed onto the target region to a non-zero preselected low value.
18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the controller is able to adjust the level of the non-zero preselected low value based on the one or more properties of the surface in the target region.
19 . The system of claim 18 wherein if the detection element detects the coating has not yet separated from the surface in the target region for a duration while the amount of energy per second directed onto the target region by the laser light is equal to the non-zero preselected low value, the controller increases the amount of energy per second directed onto the target region by the laser light to the non-zero preselected high value.
20 . The system of claim 19 wherein the controller is able to adjust the level of the non-zero preselected high value based on the one or more properties of the surface in the target region.
21 . The system of claim 20 wherein the one or more properties of the surface in the target region comprise a temperature of the surface in the target region.
22 . The system of claim 21 wherein the non-zero preselected high value is equal to a maximum amount of energy per second produced when the laser light has a maximum intensity and frequency and the non-zero preselected low value is equal to a minimum amount of energy per second produced when the laser light has a non-zero minimum intensity and frequency.
23 . The system of claim 22 wherein the non-zero preselected high value and the non-zero preselected low value are proportional to each other such that if the non-zero preselected high or value rate is adjusted, the non-zero preselected low value is adjusted in proportion to the non-zero preselected high value and if the non-zero preselected low value is adjusted, the non-zero preselected high value is adjusted in proportion to the non-zero preselected low value.
24 . The system of claim 23 wherein the detection element divides the target region into a plurality of detection areas.