Patent ID: 9662743
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: B23K

Claim:
1. A method for drilling a hole an airfoil comprising: directing a laser drill towards a near wall of the airfoil, the near wall positioned adjacent to a cavity defined in the airfoil and the laser drill utilizing a laser, the laser being a confined laser beam comprising a laser beam within a fluid column; activating a back strike protection in the cavity of the airfoil; detecting a breakthrough of a laser of the laser drill through the near wall of the airfoil; initiating a drilling sub-routine subsequent to the detection of the breakthrough of the laser through the near wall of the airfoil, the drilling sub-routine comprising a continued operation of the laser drill for a predetermined amount of time, the predetermined amount of time being sufficient for the laser drill to substantially complete the first hole, wherein the predetermined amount of time is a variable amount of time determined as a percentage of an expected breakthrough time; and disrupting the confined laser beam in the cavity of the airfoil using the back strike protection.