Aluminum engine blocks are significantly lighter than their conventional cast-iron predecessors. To make them durable, the cylinder surfaces must be lined with a wear-resistant coating. The internal processing laser head (IBK) developed at Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH; Hannover, Germany) can be used to prepare the inner surfaces of the cylinder. The IBK processing head is already used in series production and the new-generation R7 has now been delivered.
The IBK R7, developed in close cooperation with the customer, features sensor technology for monitoring the process. Monitoring is fully integrated and the system is much easier to use than its predecessors. In addition, the laser beam radiation path has been optimized to pre-vent soiling.
The IBK consists of a spindle with a rotating beam-deflection element attached to its end. During the processing, a focused laser beam emerges from the end. The spindle lowers into the bore and the end of the spindle rotates together with the deflection element. In this way, trench-like structures are introduced into the surface to be roughened. A special cleaning step after roughening and before coating, such as after corundum blasting, is not necessary. Since the IBK works virtually wear-free, laser roughening is superior to conventional machining processes.
For more information, please visit lzh.de.
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