METHOD OF SURFACE-TREATING A CAST INTERMETALLIC COMPONENT

摘要

There is proposed a method of surface-treating a cast intermetallic component, which is intended primarily to reduce or remove surface porosity from the component. The method includes the steps of: providing a cast intermetallic component; placing the component in an inert atmosphere; focussing a laser beam on a surface of the component; traversing the laser beam over at least a region of said surface whilst the component is in said inert atmosphere; and controlling the laser beam during said traversing step so as to locally melt the intermetallic material of the component to a depth of no more than 300 μm, as measured from said surface of the component.

主权项

1. A method of surface-treating a cast intermetallic component, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cast intermetallic component; placing the component in an inert atmosphere; focussing a laser beam on a surface of the component; traversing the laser beam over at least a region of said surface whilst the component is in said inert atmosphere; and controlling the laser beam during said traversing step so as to locally melt the intermetallic material of the component to a depth of no more than 300 μm, as measured from said surface of the component, the method further including a step of analysing the component, prior to said steps of focussing and traversing the laser beam, in order to identify target surface-connected and/or near-surface pores in the component and determining the maximum depth of said target pores from the surface of the component; wherein said step of controlling the laser beam involves operating the laser beam so as to locally melt the intermetallic material of the component to said maximum depth.