High-intensity laser beams can be used to heat and bend metal plates, but the mechanisms of the laser forming (LF) process are not well understood or precisely controllable. The objective of the National Institute of Standards and Technology sponsored project “Laser Forming of Complex Structures” is to develop technologies for a controllable, repeatable laser forming process that shapes and reshapes a wide range of complex structures such as compressor airfoils that are complex 3D geometries with large thickness variation. In order to apply laser forming to complex 3D geometries, the process analysis and process synthesis (design process parameters such as scanning paths and heating conditions for a desired shape) of LF of varying thickness plate are conducted in this paper. In this study, experimental, numerical, and analytical methods are used to investigate the bending mechanism and parametric effects on the deformation characteristics of varying thickness plates. A transition of the laser forming mechanism was found to occur along the scanning path when the thickness varies. The effect of scanning speed, beam spot size, and multiple scanning on the degree of bending was investigated. The proposed analytical model can predict the bending angle and angle variations for laser forming of varying thickness plate.
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August 2006
Technical Papers
Laser Forming of Varying Thickness Plate—Part I: Process Analysis
Peng Cheng,
Peng Cheng
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: pc2052@columbia.edu
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
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Yajun Fan,
Yajun Fan
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
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Jie Zhang,
Jie Zhang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
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Y. Lawrence Yao,
Y. Lawrence Yao
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
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David P. Mika,
David P. Mika
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
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Wenwu Zhang,
Wenwu Zhang
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
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Michael Graham,
Michael Graham
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
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Jud Marte,
Jud Marte
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
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Marshall Jones
Marshall Jones
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
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Peng Cheng
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027e-mail: pc2052@columbia.edu
Yajun Fan
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
Jie Zhang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
Y. Lawrence Yao
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, NY 10027
David P. Mika
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
Wenwu Zhang
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
Michael Graham
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
Jud Marte
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309
Marshall Jones
Global Research Center
, General Electric Company, Nishayuna, NY 12309J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Aug 2006, 128(3): 634-641 (8 pages)
Published Online: July 11, 2005
Article history
Received:
January 14, 2005
Revised:
July 11, 2005
Connected Content
A companion article has been published:
Laser Forming of Varying Thickness Plate—Part II: Process Synthesis
Citation
Cheng, P., Fan, Y., Zhang, J., Yao, Y. L., Mika, D. P., Zhang, W., Graham, M., Marte, J., and Jones, M. (July 11, 2005). "Laser Forming of Varying Thickness Plate—Part I: Process Analysis." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. August 2006; 128(3): 634–641. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2172280
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