Abstract
Laser Beam Forming is a new non-contact method without the use of a die, to achieve deformation in metals, which traditionally involved the application of mechanical forces to change the shape and form of the material permanently. Laser forming causes deformation by introducing thermal stresses from an external heat source as opposed to the simple application of forces in mechanical forming. In this study, samples were formed mechanically by using a dynamic press brake machine, whereby, a punch and die apply the force. A 4.4 kW Nd:YAG laser system was used to form a second set of samples made from cold rolled AISI 1008 mild steel using laser forming. In this collaborative work involving researchers from the USA, South Africa and India, the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the unformed, mechanically formed and laser formed samples were experimentally investigated. The objective is to compare these properties amongst the different samples in order to analyze the impact of the varying methodologies especially the laser energy effects on the samples. The conclusions from these tests have provided valuable information on the applicability of laser forming to attain the appropriate surface modifications yielding the desired mechanical and metallurgical properties of the metal.