The forming of mild steel plates with a 2.5 kW high power diode laser

Bending of 07 M20 mild steel sheets to various degrees using a contemporary 2.5 kW high power diode laser (HPDL) has been successfully demonstrated fo r the first time. The experimental results revealed that the HPDL induced b ending angle increased with an increasing number of irradiations and high l aser powers, yet decreased as the traverse speed was increased. It was also apparent from the experimental results that the laser bending angle was on ly linearly proportional to the number of irradiations when the latter was small. It is believed that the absence of linearity observed when the numbe r of irradiations was high is due to local material thickening along the be nd edge. From graphical results and the employment of an analytical model, the laser line energy range in which accurate control of the HPDL bending o f the 07 M20 mild steel sheets could be exercised was found to be between 1 38 and 260 J/mm(-1). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.