Discrete spot laser hardening and remelting with a high-brilliance source for surface structuring of a hypereutectoid steel

• In this work the single-pulse laser irradiation of a hypereutectoid steel was investigated using a fiber laser source, in a range of process parameters enabling surface hardening and remelting. Effects of laser power, pulse energy and defocusing distance were investigated using a numerical/experimental approach. Laser surface treatments were conducted on uncoated samples without any gas shielding, changing both the laser power and the pulse energy, and exploring a wide range of defocusing distances. Numerical simulations were conducted using a finite element model calibrated by means of an optimization procedure based on a specific calculation algorithm and using a subset of experimental data producing surface melting. Using both simulations and experiments, the process operating windows of the discrete spot laser treatment were determined: it was found that, when varying the laser power between 250 W and 750 W, melt-free hardened zones are produced with a maximum extension between 0.7 mm and 1.0 mm; on the contrary, in case of more tightly beam focusing conditions, surface melting occurred with a size of the re-melted areas ranging between 1.0 mm and 1.4 mm. Results further showed that a small change (generally 2–3 mm) of the defocusing distance suddenly brings the material from melting to a non-hardening condition. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Fiber lasers; Finite element method; Hardening; Laser heating; Melting; Remelting; Steel fibers; Surface structure

Calculation algorithms; Hypereutectoid steel; Laser hardening; Laser re-melting; Laser surface treatment; Optimization procedures; Process parameters; Surface structuring

Laser windows

Manufacturing and materials engineering

Produktions- och materialteknik

Production Technology

Produktionsteknik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)