Improving Bend Angle by Using Forced Cooling when Laser Bending Al Sheet
R. Yadav and R. Kant
Laser bending is an advanced manufacturing process used for precise bending of a wide range of materials. The process is limited to attain a small bend angle and low production rate. This study is attempted to overcome these problems by applying forced cooling at the bottom surface during multi-scan laser bending of an Al sheet. The bend angle and temperature of the top surface are analysed in both natural and forced cooling conditions at different laser power and scanning speed in each scan. It is found that the temperature reduces with the number of scans in both the conditions. The bend angle is found to be enhanced and melting is reduced in forced cooling than natural cooling. forced cooling is found to be more effective at high laser power, low scanning speed and high number of scans. The outcomes of the study are beneficial for manufacturing industries, looking to enhance the bend angle and reduce the production time by reducing the number of scans required for attaining a certain bend angle.
Keywords: Fibre laser, Al sheet, laser bending, forced cooling, temperature, bend angle