Hardening in laser forming under the temperature gradient mechanism

Laser forming is a contactless thermal forming process that can be applied for both single and double-curved geometries. When it comes to prototyping and small batch production, laser forming has the potential to compete with conventional sheet-metal forming processes; however, an investigation of the relationship between process parameters, hardness distribution and the bend rate is lacking. This study examines the influence of using different sets of processing parameters on the bend rate and the hardness distribution. ANSI 304 stainless steel samples of 1 and 3 mm thickness are laser formed up to 90° with a bend radius equal to their thickness. A theoretical discussion of the material’s hardening kinetics is used to generalize the results. Micro-Vickers hardness test is used to measure the hardness distribution along the 3 mm samples to support the theoretical discussion. The results show that the bend rate increases when using different sets of process parameters; furthermore, the bend arc length has shown to have a significant influence over the bend rate. An increase of hardness is observed on the bottom side of the laser formed samples, indicating potential strain hardening.

Bimetallic Nanowires on Laser-Patterned PEN as Promising Biomaterials

As inflammation frequently occurs after the implantation of a medical device, biocompatible, antibacterial materials must be used. Polymer–metal nanocomposites are promising materials. Here we prepared enhanced polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) using surface modification techniques and investigated its suitability for biomedical applications. The PEN was modified by a KrF laser forming periodic ripple patterns with specific surface characteristics. Next, Au/Ag nanowires were deposited onto the patterned PEN using vacuum evaporation. Atomic force microscopy confirmed that the surface morphology of the modified PEN changed accordingly with the incidence angle of the laser beam. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the distribution of the selected metals was dependent on the evaporation technique. Our bimetallic nanowires appear to be promising antibacterial agents due to the presence of antibacterial noble metals. The antibacterial effect of the prepared Au/Ag nanowires against E. coli and S. epidermidis was demonstrated using 24 h incubation with a drop plate test. Moreover, a WST-1 cytotoxicity test that was performed to determine the toxicity of the nanowires showed that the materials could be considered non-toxic. Collectively, these results suggest that prepared Au/Ag nanostructures are effective, biocompatible surface coatings for use in medical devices.

Repeatability of multipass laser forming of sheet materials

Laser forming (LF) of sheet material is a progressive treatment process and have some benefits. Laser forming is a flexible process and need no heavy metal-intensive equipment and tools. Materials with high rigidity, brittle, elastic materials can be treated by laser forming. Therefore, the investigation of LF is important task. An important point to study is repeatability of multipass laser forming of sheet materials and explore of the possibilities of stabilizing process parameters. Actually, this research is aimed at these issues. Methods and results of experimental investigation of repeatability of multipass laser forming of sheet materials on parallel and multidirectional passes are described. A methodical approach of using the VisualWeld software package for modeling the process of multi-pass laser forming has been developed. The mentioned software package was used for modeling as an alternative to a physical experiment to predict sample deformations and determine treating parameters. It has been experimentally established that the repeatability in laser forming is quite high, the difference in the amount of deformation preferably did not exceed 5%. In addition, it is shown that by varying the direction of irradiation trajectories, their step and the number of passes on each trajectory, it is possible to obtain a complex spatial configuration of the product.

Effect of Laser Forming on the Energy Absorbing Behavior of Metal Foams

Metal foam is light in weight and exhibits an excellent impact absorbing capability. Laser forming has emerged as a promising process in shaping metal foam plates into desired geometry. While the feasibility and shaping mechanism has been studied, the effect of the laser forming process on the mechanical properties and the energy absorbing behavior in particular of the formed foam parts has not been well understood. This study comparatively investigated such effect on as-received and laser formed closed-cell aluminum alloy foam. In quasi-static compression tests, attention was paid to the changes in the elastic region. Imperfections near the laser irradiated surface were closely examined and used to help elucidate the similarities and differences in as-received and laser formed specimens. Similarly, from the impact tests, the dynamically induced deformation and crush band formation were investigated with a modified Charpy impact test scheme. Differences in specific energy absorption were studied and were related to the defects formed during laser forming process. The relative density distribution and evolution of foam specimens were numerically investigated. Laser induced imperfections lead to very minor decrease in the energy absorbing ability of the metal foam, and laser forming still remain as a viable shaping process for metal foams.