Experimental study on sheet metal bending with medium-power diode laser

In an experimental study of laser sheet bending, a 160W diode laser is used for twodimensional sheet bending of low-carbon steel. The variables investigated include metal sheet thickness, laser scan speed, laser power, laser beam width, and laser scan pass number. Bend surface appearances are also analysed. The laser sheet bend results demonstrate that a 940Nm diode laser is an effective tool for laser forming of carbon steel sheets. No additional surface coating was required. The buckling mechanism may be the main source contributing to the large angle of bend found for the laserbeam-width to sheet-thickness aspect ratio close to 4; for a laser-beam-width to sheet-thickness aspect ratio of less than 2, both temperature gradient and buckling mechanisms contributed to the lower bend angles. The laser beam width study showed that, for the given material thickness range and laser beam profile, the maximum bend angle depends mainly on the material thickness, not the power intensity distribution across the bend line. However, a more evenly distributed laser beam gave the same bend angle with less material property and surface appearance changes. For obtaining the same bend angle, less laser line energy was required if a higher laser scan speed was applied, except for the extreme high-line energy level. Also, multi-path bend strategies may be preferred for maximizing the total bend angle as well as reducing bend surface morphology changes.