Temperature Monitoring during Laser Beam Forming of Steel Sheets

Abstract

Laser Beam Forming is a flexible manufacturing process with great promise for sheet and metal forming, hence, considered as a novel manufacturing method for forming and shaping of metallic components. Being a thermo-mechanical forming process that enables parts or components to be formed with external heat of a laser beam, it is important to monitor and measure the temperature during the laser forming process in order to ensure the integrity of the processed components. This study reports on the temperature monitoring and measurement during laser beam forming process of steel sheets. The experimental design followed the L-27 Taguchi Orthogonal Array. The temperature of nine sets of samples laser beamed formed at different process parameters were monitored using the thermocouple data logger. The temperature for all the components formed at the nine parameter windows were analysed during the process. Hence, it was observed that the measured temperature increases with the increasing line energy during the laser beam forming process.