Alessandro Ascari

A Comprehensive Model for Laser Hardening of Carbon Steels

This article illustrates the development of a complete and exhaustive mathematical model for the simulation of laser transformation hardening of hypo-eutectoid carbon steels. The authors propose an integrated approach aimed at taking into consideration all the the phenomena involved in this manufacturing process, with particular attention to implementing easy mathematical models in order to optimize the trade-off between the accuracy of the predicted results and the computational times. The proposed models involve the calculation of the 3D thermal field occurring into the workpiece and predict the microstructural evolution of the target material exploiting an original approach based on the definition of thermodynamic thresholds which can be considered as a physical constant of the material itself. Several parameters and phenomena are taken into consideration in order to accurately simulate the process: laser beam characteristics, fast austenization of the steel and tempering effect due to mutually interacting beam trajectories.Copyright

A Method for Laser Heat Treatment Efficiency Evaluation in Multi-Track Surface Hardening

Laser surface hardening is nowadays an industrial emerging technique, which is gradually substituting induction and flame surface hardening thanks to its advantages related to power saving and process versatility. This manufacturing technology is a challenging process especially when it has to be applied on surfaces larger than the beam spot. In this case several adjacent passes must be performed in order to scan the whole surface to be treated. This strategy involves inevitably an intrinsic tempering effect due to the re-heating of the previously hardened material. The extent of the softening occurring depends on several parameters. First of all, it depends on the material and its initial state, then on process parameters related to the laser source, such as type, optical path and spot dimension and further on the adopted surface scan strategy of the beam. This last set of process parameters is represented by: laser beam speed, number of tracks, pass overlapping degree and tracks sequence. The hardness uniformity of the heat treated layer and the consequent effectiveness of the process depend strictly on the tempering degree occurring in the material. According to this it is important to find a practical method devoted to quickly characterize the result of a laser surface treatment in terms of tempered zones extension and distribution. This article proposes, then, the definition of a “Covering Uniformity” index (CU) which represents an engineering approach to this problem and it allows to easily determine the effectiveness of a particular laser hardening treatment. The CU index is based upon hardness measurements and it is related to the ratio between the extension of the tempered zone and the total extension of the treated area. In order to underline and demonstrate the intrinsic value of this parameter a set of experimental trials was carried out on AISI 1070 carbon steel, AISI 1040 carbon steel and AISI 420B martensitic stainless steel.Copyright

3D Modelling of Laser Hardening and Tempering of Hypo-eutectoid Steels

In this paper a mathematical model solved by means of the finite differences method (FDM) for laser surface hardening of complex geometries is presented. The 3-D transient model characterizes a software package named Laser Hardening Simulator (LHS), which makes it possible to predict the extension of the treated area into the mechanical components and thus the hardened depth into the bulk material. The obtained microstructures and the resulting hardness with respect to the laser parameters and to the laser beam path strategy can be determined by considering the quenching and the tempering effects due to the overlapping trajectories. The initial workpiece microstructure is taken into account in the simulation by a digitized photomicrograph of the ferrite-pearlite distribution before the thermal cycle. In order to show the accuracy of the model, experimental trials were conducted on the keyway for spline machined on a hub made of SAE 1043. The domain discretization for the solution of the heat flux problem into the workpiece and for the diffusion of the carbon is carried out by means of a mesh generator strategy implemented into the code.

An improved model for cold metal transfer welding of aluminium alloys

An improved model is proposed for automated cold metal transfer (CMT) welding based on a time-dependent double-ellipsoidal volumetric heat flux distribution. Equations are evaluated numerically within COMSOL Multiphysics for CMT welding of a 3-mm-thick AA5754 Al–Mg alloy plate. The simulation calculates transient and steady-state temperature distributions within the weld seam and heat-affected zone (HAZ). Validation of the model is achieved by comparing simulated temperatures with measured values from thermocouples in the HAZ during welding experiments, as well as through comparison of the calculated fusion zone and microscope images of the weld seam. Under steady-state conditions, large differences between the peak and average calculated temperatures in the weld pool highlight the underlying phenomenon responsible for improvements in weld quality for thin sheets with CMT compared to conventional joining processes. The developed simulation provides opportunities for process optimisation and sensitivity analysis in many applications.

Laser Profiling of Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheels

Laser profiling experiments are performed at normal incidence on fine grain medium density aluminum oxide grinding wheels with a pulsed nanosecond 1064nm fiber laser source with maximum pulse fluence 369J/cm2. In order to determine the incision depth and ideal laser pass separation distance, laser exposures are first performed on high purity, low porosity aluminum oxide blocks and subsequently analyzed with an optical profiler operating in confocal mode. This ablation data is then applied to path planning for grinding wheel profiling experiments, with division of the necessary removal depth according to the measured incision depth and ideal pass separation distance. X-ray computed tomography is utilized to determine the resulting profile accuracy as a function of process parameters. Test results indicate a maximum profile accuracy in the order of 200μm; however, in order to approach the accuracy of diamond dressing, some two orders of magnitude lower, it is likely that tangential laser incidence is necessary.Copyright

A Thermal Model for Laser Hardening Simulation

Laser hardening is a very flexible and useful process for surface treatment of medium carbon steels, capable of processing varied and complex geometries. In order to enlarge the range of industrial applications to which this process can be applied, a suitable model is necessary in order to reduce the setup time requested for the optimization of new components. The process model presented is based on the Arrhenius-like equation for estimation of the thermally induced process reaction time for microstructural transformations. By means of experiments, all unknown parameters in the equations have been determined, highlighting the accuracy and low computation time of the simulator.Copyright

Optimization Strategies of Laser Hardening of Hypo-eutectoid Steel

The interest towards LASER hardening of steels has been increasing since the last few years due to its undoubted advantages. The main drawback affecting this manufacturing technology is the tempering effect induced when multiple passes on the same surface must be carried out. In order to minimize the softening effect due to tempering and to speed up the process a numerical model for the simulation of the treatment is proposed. This model is able to detect the optimal LASER path trajectory according to the source parameters and the scanning velocity, and it is able to predict the resulting microstructures and the relating hardness. Some examples on an hypo-eutectoid steel are presented together with validation tests.

Characterization of Lattice Structures for Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight Mechanical Components

Tensile and compression test specimens comprising lattice structures with simple cubic, crossing-rod and body-centered cubic (BCC) unit cells are produced via SLM additive manufacturing (AM) of AISI 316L stainless steel and CoCr powder. Equivalent stress-elongation curves are obtained, with equivalent strength, specific strength, stiffness modulus and specific stiffness calculated based on specimen density and sample cross-section. The obtained results highlight the fact that analogous structures can behave very differently depending on the chosen material. While large differences are obtained in strength and stiffness between the different unit cell types, specific strength and specific stiffness vary to a lesser extent. Two case studies are presented, including a porous structure suitable for bone implants in the field of biomedical engineering and an AISI 316L food packaging machine component. The results obtained in this study provide useful guidelines and equivalent properties for designers wishing to exploit the advantages of internal lattice structures in AM.Copyright

Non-conventional laser surface hardening for axisymmetric components

A new process, based on ring spot geometry, is presented for laser surface hardening of large cylindrical com-ponents. The proposed technique leads to a very hard, deep and uniform treated area along the entire work piece surface without introducing a tempered zone, making the process very attractive compared to conventional induction hardening that exhibits both low energy efficiency and poor flexibility. A complete physical model is presented for the process, together with a study of the influence of process parameters on the final outcome. The results of an extensive validation campaign, carried out following the AISI1040 standard, are also reported.

Laser Assisted Cold Bending of High Strength Steels

This paper presents the feasibility of an innovative application of laser-assisted bending process. The high strength steel sheets bending, carried out after a laser heat treatment, is studied. Several strategies aimed at obtaining a ductile structure along the bending line, suitable for cold forming, are investigated. The influence of laser processing parameters on the microstructure, hardness and strength of the sheets are discussed and analyzed. In order to predict the temperature and ensure the repeatability and reliability of the process, a model for heat treatment simulation is developed. The study of the experimental data and the integration with the simulation of the heating phase lead to the definition of specific process parameters suitable for achieving a crack-free cold bending of high strength steels.Copyright