Pelham, NH - PhotoMachining Inc. has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research grant from the US Air Force--"Innovative Methods for Automated Controlled Removal of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) and Bondcoats from Turbine Airfoils for Rework and Repair." The award is a nine-month effort to develop a laser based removal process that aggressively removes TBCs from aircraft engine turbine airfoils at high speeds.
Currently TBCs are removed for rework or repair using a combination of autoclave, caustic and acidic solutions, and grit blast. This process is labor intensive, time consuming, waste producing, and is neither consistent nor well controlled.
If successful, a Phase II contract will be pursued to commercialize the technology. This technique has applications in high speed hole drilling, coating removal and, surface modification and the potential market for this technology, when developed, is huge.
PhotoMachining Inc. is a NH small company engaged in high precision laser micromachining and custom laser system integration. Contact: Ronald D. Schaeffer, Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer by E-mail at [email protected] or call him at 603-882-9944.