On June 8, 2010, LSPT filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Metal Improvement Company, LLC (“MIC”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,373,876 (the “’876 patent”).  On September 3, 2010, MIC filed a Request for Reexamination with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”), asking that the USPTO reexamine the claims of the ’876 patent in light of various printed publications submitted by MIC in the Request.  The Court stayed the lawsuit pending the outcome of the reexamination proceeding.  On March 25, 2011, the USPTO issued a Notice of Intent to Issue a Reexamination Certificate, wherein the USPTO stated its intent to confirm all 38 of the claims of the ’876 patent.  On July 5, 2011, the USPTO issued a Reexamination Certificate, Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate No. US 6,373,876 C1, declaring:  “As a result of the reexamination, it has been determined that:  The patentability of claims 1-38 is confirmed.”  As a result, all of the claims of the ’876 patent remain valid and enforceable.

LSP Technologies offers affordable laser peening services to improve the fatigue properties of our customer’s military, aerospace, power generation, tube forming, or other types of parts.  We collaborate with our customers to enhance their products with this innovative laser technology by increasing reliability, improving safety, and adding value.  We also provide an innovative non-destructive method of inspecting glue bonds in metals and/or composties that can detect “kissing bonds”. 

For a better picture of our capabilities follow the link below to one of our marketing brochures.  

LSP Trifold

LSP Technologies’ proudly announces it has won a Task Order subcontracting award with Universal Technology Corporation (UTC) of Dayton, Ohio. UTC is the prime for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing Technology Division (AFRL/RXM) contract for “Mobil Systems for Aircraft Structures”.

This Task Order program supports LSP Technologies’ Laser Bond Inspection System for the inspection of bonded structures used in Aircraft structures. The objective of this MATES II T.O. program is to secure CDRH for the laser system and to develop additional capabilities for detecting defects in the bond line of bonded structures. The Laser Bond Inspection system will receive some improvements to ease customization for customers and make other updates and improvements. LSP Technologies will also conduct research under the contract to support the system growth. 

Laser bond inspection technology (LBI) tests and verifies the strength of adhesively bonded joints used in composite structures within assemblies such as aircraft.  It is an inspection process that further assures the safety and reliability of those bonded structures. LBI technology is also being adapted for use with other bonded structures, including, for example, metals and ceramics, and metal to metal. It is an honor to be working with UTC on this important aspect for bridging the gap between military manufacturing needs and industry capabilities. For more information on LSP Technologies’ Laser Bond Inspection system and its capabilities, visit http://lsptechnologies.com/, or for more information about Universal Technology Corporation (UTC), visit http://www.utcdayton.com/.

Mr. David Lahrman will present a paper he co-authored entitled, “The LaserPeen™ Process and Emerging Applications”  September 12-15, 2011 at the 11th International Conference on Shot Peening.
ABSTRACT

“Laser peening has been demonstrated as a unique and valuable method to increase the resistance of aircraft gas turbine engine compressor and fan blades to foreign object damage (FOD) and improve high cycle fatigue (HCF) life.  Laser peening is also known as the LaserPeen^™ Process or laser shock processing (LSP).

 Laser peening drives a high amplitude shock wave into a material surface using a high-energy laser pulse.  The plastic deformation caused by the shock wave results in deep compressive residual stresses in the surface of the part.  The depth and magnitude of the residual stresses depend upon the material and the processing parameters.  Compressive residual stresses typically extend as deep as 0.040-0.060 inches (1.0 to 1.5 mm) below the surface and can approach the yield strength of the material.  These compressive residual stresses increase the resistance of materials to surface-related failures such as fatigue, fretting fatigue, and stress corrosion cracking.

 The successful use of laser peening on aircraft turbine engines blades is driving development efforts to expand the use of this technology to airframe structures, automotive gears, medical devices, nuclear systems, and general industrial applications.  The laser peening process is described and factors important for successful applications are discussed.”

Two additional papers are planned to be presented.  One by Yunfeng Cao and Yung C. Shin of the Center for Laser-based Manufacturing at Purdue University entitled, “Predictive self-closed modeling of laser shock peening and parametric study,” another by Anoop Vasu1 and Ramana V. Grandhi2 of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Wright State University entitled, “Compressive Residual Stress Optimization in Laser Peening of a Curved Geometry.”  Follow the links below to read the abstracts for these two papers.

Predictive self-closed modeling of laser shock peening

Compressive Residual Stress Optimization in Laser Peening of

Laser peening also known as laser-peening or laser shock processing (LSP) increases the resistance of materials to surface-related failures such as, FOD, fatigue, fretting fatigue, and stress corrosion cracking.  It does this by driving compressive residual stresses into metals and alloys. 

Please stop by our booth, David Lahrman will be available for discussion about the benefits that laser peening surface enhancement technology can provide your parts to reduce their fatigue susceptibility.  See the beneifts of laser peening on our FAQs page at http://lsptechnologies.com/questions/.

David Lahrman will also be available to discuss Laser Bond Inspection.  It is LSP Technologies’ new NDE method to inspect adhesive bond joints in composites or other bonded materials.  LBI uses a localized stress wave created by a laser beam of high peak power with a short pulse to create an internal disbond in weak bonds that is detectable by the laser bond inspection system itself or by a post test ultrasonic inspection.

LSP Technologies, Inc. will be exhibiting at DMC 2011. We hope you will visit us at booth number 628.

November 28 – December 1, 2011
Anaheim, California
Anaheim Convention Center
Booth Number: 628

The DMC is the flagship defense manufacturing technology forum for exchanging ideas, assessing technical project progress and dealing with the challenges of the many new and traditional defense industrial base issues across the services and agencies.

http://www.dmc2011.com/

LSP Technolgies is pioneering the field of using high energy lasers to non-destructively inspect adhesive bonds in composite and other bonded materials for weak or “kissing” bonds.

The use of controlled, localized stress waves in materials and bonded joints offers new opportunities for the characterization of structures.  Bonded joints in particular benefit from this application because there is no nondestructive inspection method to measure bond strength.  LSP Technologies’ Laser Bond Inspection uses a high peak power short pulse laser to perform a localized proof test of a bond. The method can be nondestructively applied to strong bonds but will fail a weak bond, creating an internal disbond that is detectable by the laser bond inspection system itself or by post test ultrasonic inspection. 

To date numerous tests have shown the method to be sensitive to weak bonds in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites structure bonds created by poor adhesive mixing, improper surface preparation or contamination.

To Learn More  click on the link.

Flash
http://mediazone.brighttalk.com/comm/ReedElsevier/33bdd84a70-22762-2251-24177

Windows Media
http://mediazone.brighttalk.com/comm/ReedElsevier/b3a9cda1c2-22762-2250-24176

SAMPE 2011
Society for the Advancement of Material and Processing  Engineering
Long Beach Convention Center

Dick Bossi of Boeing Research & Technology; David Lahrman and David Sokol of LSP Technologies; and Craig Walters of Craig Walters and Associates were a co-presenters on the topic, ” Laser Bond Inspection for Adhesive Bond Strength.”

2011- State of Industry:  Advanced Materials, Applications, and Processing Technology

The following is an excerpt from the SAMPE website.

Visit the SAMPE website for other details: http://www.sampe.org/events/2011LongBeachCA.aspx

LSP Technologies attended the Advanced Laser Applications

Workshop held in Plymouth, Michigan May 3 through 5. 

David Lahrman, Director of Business Development, presented a

paper on “Laser Peening for Fatigue Improvement” on May 4th 

at this year’s meeting.  This year’s theme was to adress the

current economic and manufacturing challenges in the USA,

including a new direction for the workshop, looking into

“What’s Going on Outside of Automotive?”

Dr. Jeff Dulaney and Dr. Allen Clauer of LSP Technologies will attend the 3rd International Conference on Laser Peening & Related Phenomena on October 11-14, 2011 in Grand Cube Osaka, Japan.  Dr. Dulaney has joined the conference committee. 

Dr. Dulaney will present on the topic Future Shock: Accelerating Technology, here is the abstract for his presentation. 

It takes an enormous effort to take technology from a laboratory research environment to commercial use.  Laser Shock Processing (LSP) of the 1970s evolved into the commercial success known today as laser peening.  There are several variants of laser peening in use today, and others yet to be discovered, developed, and integrated into commercial use.  The study of the laser-generated shock waves, so critical to laser peening, will find commercial applicability beyond imparting compressive residual stress in metals.  Computer models, currently being used to support commercial applications development, will continue to improve and lead the way to new applications and uses.  Overlay materials will evolve to enhance the effectiveness of laser peening through the use of special materials and techniques.  In situ process controls and diagnostics will continue to be developed to provide real-time feedback for process control and continuous quality assurance as critical parts are being processed.  Advancement of laser peening systems will enable new and unexpected applications. 

Dr. Clauer will present a paper he co-authored with Peter Gaydos entitled, “The Effect of Surface Treatments on Fatigue of Carburized X2M Steel.”   Here is the abstract for his paper.

“Carburized X2M specimens were tested in 3-point bending fatigue after having their surface treated with four different treatments both individually and in combination. The bend specimens were 102 mm x 34 x 8.5 mm, with the longitudinal edges of the tensile surface tapered. The surface treatments were Isotropic Surface Finishing (ISF), Low Stress Grinding (LSG), Shot Peening (SP) and Laser Shock Peening (LSP). The first three were also applied in combination with a follow-up LSP treatment, and also a combined ISF/SP/LSP treatment.
The results show that the fatigue strength increased with the type of surface treatment in the order of ISF, LSG, SP, LSP. The combination treatments produced fatigue strength equivalent to or slightly better than the LSP treatment alone.

These results will be discussed in the context of residual stress profiles and scanning electron microscopy of the surfaces and fracture surfaces. The observed modifications of the surfaces and compressive residual stresses lead to observable changes in crack initiation behavior.”

Other committee members from Ohio include:

Ramana V. Grandhi: Wright State University, USA

Kristina Langer: Wright-Patterson AFB, USA

S. R. Mannava: University of Cincinnati, USA

Visit the conference website to learn more

http://www.mapse.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/3rdLP/

 South Bend, Indiana

September 12-15, 2011
Booth #111

LSP Technologies happily returns to the the International Conference on Shot Peening in 2011.  David Lahrman and Steve Dykes will be attending the conference and will be available to discuss and explain the laser peening process.  Stop by and visit with them in our booth (#111).  We hope you will stop to learn more about laser peening and how it can improve the fatigue properties of the parts you manufacture or maintain. 

The excerpt below from the 11th International Conference on Shot Peening website highlights shot peening alternative or supplemental processes.

“Related mechanical surface treatments, such as deep rolling, laser peening, ultrasonic peening, combined processes and other cold work processes including compressive surface residual stresses, are within the scope of the conference, especially when compared to shot peening.”  To read more, visit the conference website:  

 http://www.shotpeening.org/ICSP-11/

The conference is hosted by Electronics, Inc. and The Shot Peener Magazine.  You can also visit the conference host’s websites for more information about them:

http://www.electronics-inc.com/

http://www.shotpeener.com/tspmagazine/