2017 Volume 58 Issue 679 Pages 675-680
Ultrashort-pulsed laser peen forming is a method of thin-sheet-metal forming using laser-induced shock waves. The authors have applied the process to microsheet parts bending, which is accomplished by repeating line scanning. However, when a severe curvature is requested, nonnegligible reduction of sheet thickness is induced by laser ablation. In order to restrict the thickness reduction, the authors attempted to improve the bending efficiency, which would allow a reduction in the number of necessary pulses. Scanning velocity and scanning pitch were changed, while the total irradiated pulse number was constant. The obtained results showed that a scanning velocity higher than the conventional one is favorable for improving the bending efficiency. In addition, smaller scanning pitches were adopted to reduce the radius of curvature. The influence of the scanning pitch on the bending efficiency was much weaker than that of scanning velocity. From the results of the evaluation of efficiency and scanned surface asperity, a scanning velocity of 20 mm·s-1 was judged to be the best. The best scanning condition achieved a 40% smaller radius of curvature than the conventional one.
