Numerical and Experimental Study of Laser Surface Modification Using a High-Power Fiber CW Laser.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Manufacturing Technology

Background:

• Laser machining offers precise material processing capabilities.
• Understanding laser-material interactions is crucial for optimizing surface treatments.
• Aluminum alloys are widely used in various industries, necessitating efficient machining methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computational framework for laser machining of aluminum alloy Al 1050 H14.
• To investigate laser-induced thermal and structural effects during machining.
• To establish a reliable method for optimizing laser parameters for metal surface modification.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced three-dimensional, coupled thermal-structural Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations.
• Incorporated Gaussian heat source and Johnson-Cook constitutive model for material behavior.
• Conducted experiments using a 2 kW Continuous Wave (CW) fiber laser on a CNC milling machine.
• Employed diagnostics including thermal imaging, thermocouples, white-light interferometry, and strain gauges for validation.

Main Results:

• FEM simulations accurately predicted temperature gradients, displacement fields, and stress-strain evolution.
• Strong agreement was found between simulation results and experimental data.
• The study validated the predictive capability of the developed FEM framework for laser-material interactions.

Conclusions:

• The established FEM framework provides a reliable computational approach for laser machining.
• This research enables precise control over laser parameters for optimized metal surface treatment.
• The findings contribute to advancing laser-based manufacturing and material modification techniques.