RESIDUAL-STRESSES INDUCED IN STEEL BY LAS ER SHOCK-TREATMENT

Laser shock surface treatment can create plastic strains and induce co mpressive residual stresses in metals. This process consists of irradi ating a metallic sample with a short but intense laser pulse. It resul ts from this that a high temperature and pressure plasma is created at the sample surface. An elastic-plastic wave is then propagating in th e sample creating plastic strains. This paper presents the effects of laser induced stress waves on the residual stresses of a standard stee l. With the optimized conditions, we can realise some homogeneous cove r strips.