Basic Study on Laser Forming of Curved Surfaces with Simulation

Laser forming is a technology that produces plastic deformations in sheet materials by generating local heat stress. It is useful for prototype or small-quantity production because it does not require dies or molds. Although many studies on laser forming have been done, few have been on forming curved shapes. This paper deals with a method for generating the scanning paths and determining the scanning conditions for laser forming of a curved shape. The scanning paths are derived as the maximum and minimum curvature lines. Since the two curvature lines are orthogonal, they don’t affect each other in forming. The scanning speed is decided by an approximation equation derived from experiment and FEM analysis according to the angle of the bend at the irradiation point. The effectiveness of the scanning paths and the scanning speed determined by the proposed method are confirmed through experiments.