Studies on Vacuum Assisted Laser Forming

Abstract

Laser forming is an innovative technique that uses a focused laser beam to form sheet metal by thermal stress rather than external forces. Promising potential applications of laser forming include rapid prototyping, straightening, aligning and adjusting of macro/micro-metallic components. A vacuum assisted laser forming has been pro- posed for micro forming of metal components. The aim of this study is to form cup-shaped micro component from circular sheet with vacuum assisted laser form- ing. A three- dimensional FE simulation for the same has been used to predict the formability of the components with this process. A parametric study has been carried out to study e ect of process parameters like laser power, sheet thickness, number of pass and vacuum. Experiment set up for vacuum assisted laser forming has been also developed. FE analysis includes a linear static coupled thermal-structural analysis accounting for the temperature dependency of the thermal and mechanical proper- ties of the material. The time dependent temperature and bending angle have been obtained from the simulation.( Material property of AISI 1010 and pure aluminium is used in FE model and experiments). Three dimensional FE-simulations model has been developed with the help of ANSYS software. The FE model is validated through the comparison of numerically predicted bending angles and experimental results of laser bending in single pass and multi passes of vacuum assisted. The model have been used to identify process parameters of vacuum assisted laser forming process, di erent materials with vacuum assisted laser forming. process of di erent material with vacuum assisted laser forming. An experimental set up has been developed for vacuum assisted laser forming. Fiber pro laser, with maximum mean power laser of 50 watt has been used for the experiment to verify FEA results. A microcup of 2.33125 mm and 3.3112 mm depth have been formed for pure aluminium and low carbon steel respectively, which is in close agreement with the FEA prediction.