Laser bending of pre-stressed thin-walled nickel micro-tubes

Abstract

Abstract Laser forming is an innovative technique of producing bending, spatial forming and alignment of both metallic and non-metallic parts by introducing thermal stresses into a work piece with a laser beam. It involves a complex interaction of process parameters to mechanical and thermal characteristics of materials. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical study of laser bending process of thin-walled micro-tubes. The effect of input parameters, namely laser power, pulse length and pre-stress constraint, on the process and the final product characteristics are investigated. Results of the analysis show that the bending angle of the tube increases considerably when a constraint is imposed at the tube’s free end during the heating period. The introduction of compressive pre-stresses (from mechanical bending) in the irradiated region increases the final deformation which varies almost linearly with the amount of pre-stress. Due to high thermal conductivity and thin-walled structure of the tube, the heat dissipates quickly from the irradiated region to its surrounding material. Therefore, a combination of short pulse duration and high power is preferable to generate a higher thermal gradient and induce plastic strain. Design of experiment and regression analysis are implemented to develop an empirical model based on simulation results. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to determine the influence of independent variables on output response. It is evident that initial displacement and pulse length have a stronger positive effect on the output response as compared to laser power.