Meshing strategies for the efficient computation of laser beam forming processes on large aluminium plates

Abstract

Due to its enormously high flexibility laser beam forming has been gaining importance during the last years. However, this high flexibility demands very precise irradiation strategies. This challenge is nowadays approached by process simulations mainly based on the finite element method (FEM) and thus demanding a high grid density to achieve reliable simulation results. For complex processes on large plates this is hardly feasible due to the limited computation power of current work stations. Thus, the simulation of the laser beam forming process on large plates demands intelligent meshing strategies decreasing the number of knots on the one hand and guaranteeing accurate simulation results on the other. The moving mesh method where exclusively a small area around the current laser position is meshed finely and is moved synchronously to the laser beam meets these demands. The applicability of the moving mesh method is proven and applied to large aluminium plates. Straight and diagonal laser paths are accomplished as well as two moving meshes at a plate with non-constant thickness and saddles, realising simulations in minimum times which had not at all been possible before.