Patent ID: 7273998
Filing Date: 2007-09-25
Classification: B23K,C21D,G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A laser shock peening process monitoring method, comprising: producing a line spectrum of radiation emitted from a plasma produced by a laser shock peening system; converting the line spectrum into a signal representative of the line spectrum; converting the signal representative of the line spectrum into a graphical representation of the line spectrum; producing a curve fit of the graphical representation of the line spectrum; comparing line broadening in the graphical representation of a line spectrum to line broadening in the curve fit of the graphical representation of the line spectrum to establish whether the line spectrum corresponds to a desired line spectrum during the laser shock peening process; and controlling the laser shock peening system to alter at least one of laser energy, laser beam diameter at a work piece, rise time, or pulse width of a laser beam produced by the laser shock peening system to produce the plasma based upon comparison.