A new process, based on ring spot geometry, is presented for laser surface hardening of large cylindrical com-ponents. The proposed technique leads to a very hard, deep and uniform treated area along the entire work piece surface without introducing a tempered zone, making the process very attractive compared to conventional induction hardening that exhibits both low energy efficiency and poor flexibility. A complete physical model is presented for the process, together with a study of the influence of process parameters on the final outcome. The results of an extensive validation campaign, carried out following the AISI1040 standard, are also reported.
Laser shock peening is a well-known technology able to enhance the fatigue life of mechanical components by means of the introduction of residual stresses on their surface. These stresses are induced by means of the recoil pressure caused by the abrupt expansion, in a confining medium, of a laser-vaporized coating layer. If high power densities are used the recoil pressure can be high enough to induce compressive residual stresses on the target surface and to modify its mechanical properties. These mechanical properties can be predicted if the recoil pressure of the ablating layer is determined. In this paper the influence of the laser pulse shape on the recoil pressure is determined by means of a proper modeling of the whole process and the difference between cold" and warm" laser shock peening is pointed out.
This article presents an exhaustive mathematical model for the simulation of hypo-eutectoid carbon steel trans- formations during laser hardening. The proposed model takes into consideration all the the phenomena involved in the process with particular attention to implementing easy mathematical formulas in order to optimize the trade-o between the accuracy of the predicted results and the computational times. The proposed model calculates the 3D thermal eld occurring into the workpiece and predicts the microstructural evolution of the target material exploiting an original approach based on the de nition of thermodynamic thresholds. Several parameters and phenomena are taken into consideration in order to accurately simulate the process: laser beam characteristics, scanning strategy of the target and tempering e ect due to mutually interacting beam trajecto- ries.
A 3D numerical model for the surface hardening process simulation carried out by means of a CO2 laser source
is presented. The model is able to predict the extension of the treated area into the workpiece, the type of the
resulting micro-structure and the optimal laser path strategy in order to minimize the micro-structural softening
due to the tempering effect. The Fourier equation is solved using the Finite Difference Method (FDM) applied
on a generical grid obtained by means of the domain discretization. The resulting time dependent temperature
distribution into the workpiece is used for the evaluation of the induced heating cycle. By calculating the cooling
velocity, the micro-structure transformation is determined together with the hardness in every point of the
domain. The hardness reduction due to the tempering effect is also predictible. The computational times are
small and the software is very suitable in industrial environment in the early stage of the process planning when
several simulation runs must be performed. The modeling activity was developed by considering the class of the
hypo-eutectoid steel. The experimental tests were realized on a C43 steel plate. The good agreement between
the theoretical and experimental results is shown.
In this paper a numerical simulation of laser hardening process is presented. The Finite Difference Method
(FDM) was used to solve the heat transfer and the carbon diffusion equations for a defined workpiece geometry.
The model is able to predict the thermal cycle into the target material, the phase transformations and the
resulting micro-structures according to the laser parameters, the workpiece dimensions and the physical properties
of the workpiece. The effects of the overlapping tracks of the laser beam on the resulting micro-structures is also
considered.
The initial workpiece micro-structure is taken into account in the simulation by a digitized photomicrograph
of the ferrite perlite distribution before the thermal cycle.
Experimental tests were realized on a C43 plate and the good agreement between the theoretical and experimental
results is shown.
This paper refers to the development of a numerical simulator for Laser Milling process useful for industrial applications
able to predict the machining results when different materials are processed, different surface conditions
are encountered and spatial and temporal distributions of the pulsed beam are set.
The original software presented, developed by the authors, are well suited for simulating laser milling or laser
micromachining operations with power density up to 1014 W/m2 and pulse duration in the order of nanoseconds.
The temperature of the solid phase is evaluated by solving the Fourier equation by using the finite difference
method (FDM). The recession velocity of the ablating surface is evaluated according to the Hertz-Knudsen
equation assuming that the explosive effects are negligible.
The plasma plume is considered in local thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE) and the energy balance permits
to evaluate the plume temperature, ion distribution and pressure under the assumption that the gas expansion,
from the surface target, produces a sonic front. The plume energy balance is influenced by the energy lost for
irradiation from the plume and by the quantity of laser beam energy reflected from the target surface.
Numerical simulations have been conducted to quantify this influence on the plasma plume physical state
and, consequently, on the ablation process considering a Nd:YAG diode pumped source and three different target
materials: Fe-C alloy, copper and aluminum.
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