Fast Analytic Simulation for Multi-Laser Heating of Sheet Metal in GPU

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Interactive simulation of laser machining is vital for optimizing tool paths and parameters.
• Existing Finite Element methods are too slow for real-time applications and require synchronized laser beams.
• Current simulations lack flexibility in handling multiple, independently controlled laser beams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an algorithm for interactive simulation of transient temperature fields in sheet metal during laser machining.
• To enable simulation of asynchronous laser beams with independent trajectories, parameters, and time frames.
• To achieve interactive simulation rates for multi-beam laser machining.

Main Methods:

• An analytic solution in the frequency domain is employed, differing from traditional numerical methods.
• The algorithm allows arbitrary time/space discretizations without precision loss and non-monotonic temperature history retrieval.
• Implementation on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) facilitates high-speed simulations.

Main Results:

• The developed algorithm enables interactive simulation of transient temperature fields.
• It successfully handles asynchronous laser beams with independent control.
• Simulations achieve interactive rates even with numerous simultaneous laser beams.
• The method has been integrated into an interactive sheet cutting simulation environment.

Conclusions:

• The proposed analytic frequency-domain algorithm overcomes limitations of traditional numerical methods for interactive laser machining simulation.
• It provides a flexible and efficient approach for optimizing laser machining processes with multiple, asynchronous beams.
• Future work will incorporate thermal stress coupling and laser ablation for comprehensive simulation.