DYNA JOURNAL ENGINEERING

Key words:

conformado láser, simulación numérica, elementos finitos, conformado por gradiente térmico, acero AISI 304, laser forming, numerical simulation, finite elements method, temperature gradient mechanism, steel AISI 304

Article type:

ARTICULO DE INVESTIGACION / RESEARCH ARTICLE

Section:

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Direct Laser Forming (DLF) is a thermo-mechanical process wherein the controlled deposition of laser energy induces internal stresses in the material, producing permanent deformations. The final result is a deformation of the material according to a 2D or 3D geometry, similarly to results obtained by traditional forming processes. The development of fundamental knowledge about DLF technique represents a scientific and technological improvement in the production of low series and sheet metal prototypes. The laser typical variables determine the energy transfer rate and resulting deformations. In this paper, we present a numerical model to simulate the process which permits to analyze the influence of the characteristic variables.