LASER Surface

Modification
MME 343
Name: Homayra Tabassum Mumu
Student ID: 1611005

Prepared for
Dr. Md. Moniruzzaman
Professor
Materials & Metallurgical Engineering Department
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology

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Laser Surface Modification two techniques

Laser Surface Melting

•  Power density: W/
• Cooling rate: C/sec
• Melt thickness: 1-10µm
• Result of Rapid cooling:
1. Laser surface glazing: formation of
metallic glass.

2. Formation of metastable
microcrystalline solid. Fig: laser surface melting

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Laser Surface Modification techniques(2):
Laser Surface Alloying

• Both composition and structure can

be modified

• Surface layer Deposition by coating

is done before laser treatment

• It overcame the compositional

dependence of laser surface melting
Fig: laser surface alloying

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Types of lasers
• Infrared Rays:
Lasing Emission
• NIR: solid state laser: Excite medium in stimulation
medium by upper by optical
• Wavelength= 1.06µm
flash lamp metastable cavity/resona
• Examples: energy tor
 Neodymium glass
 Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum
Garnet
 Alexandrite
Significant eye damage!

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Types of lasers Electrically exciting
FIR: CO2
AC DC
• Wavelength= 10.6µm

• Laser medium: He ,N2, CO2

N2 in upper vibrational energy
• Skin surface might
get burnt!!!
Transfer of energy to CO2

• Also Visible and UV-rays: Emission of light energy from CO2

micro-metalworking.

Needs to be cooled by He
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Structure of Metalworking Solid State Laser:

2 main parts:
1. Power supply:
• Electric energy
• Water cooling
• Control panel for functions of laser head

2. Laser head:
• Medium:
• Excitation source: Flash lamp
• Optical resonator: optical cavity Fig. Laser Head

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Advantages
• No size limitation
• No vacuum required
Disadvantages
• No contamination of material

• High equipment cost

• Limited depth penetration
• Safety aspects with high power laser

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Fig. Laser cladding facility at Tata Steel Strip
Beam shaping optics
1. Focusing lens: convex
• Concentrates laser energy to a single spot

2. Beam Integrator: concave reflective mirror

• Divides laser beam into many equisized squares
• Superimposes on each other
• Resultant = integration of all squares
• Irradiates work surface uniformly

Fig: Focusing lens

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 Motion mechanism
• Change in Focal Distance: Beam
Energy Focal distance

• Shape travel velocity: must be

controlled
• Even 5% error is unacceptable
• Machine tools are used to control
motion.
Fig: a) positive defocus : beam energy low
b) Focusing: beam energy maximum
• Intentional vibration : c) Negative defocus: beam energy low
Mixing of Molten metal

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Ancillary Devices

• Critical for successful surface

modification
• Devices are:
1. Ventilation system
2. Beam absorption enhancement
technique
3. Reflection controlling technique
4. Gas shielding
5. Beam stirring
Fig: components of laser head
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Ventilation system

• Gas/ particulate effluent

produced
• Removal of effluent is needed
as it:
1. Interferes with beam shape
2. Damages optics
3. Threatens personnel safety
4. Hazardous to environment
Fig: ventilation system
5. Needs cleaning before discharge

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Beam absorption enhancement technique

• Laser absorption of surface is

poor
• 2 ways to enhance absorption:
1. Mechanical change: 2. Chemical change

 Machining • Using any of the 3 types of absorbers

 Sanding 1. Paints

 Grit blasting 2. Oxides

3. Conversion coatings
Increases 25%

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Paints

• Can’t transfer high density

energy efficiently  Hazardous effluent
• Energy loss owing to:  Difficulty in controlling paint
thickness
1. Evaporation heat of paint
2. Reflection and scattering from burnt
paint
3. Absorption by paint effluent
4. Reflection from exposed metal
surface
75% increase in Fe based alloys Fig: laser absorbent paint

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Oxides and Conversion coatings

• Attached more intimately to

metal surface
• Better absorption than paints
• No undesirable effluents

Fig: paint vs oxide as enhancer for

absorption
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Reflection controlling technique

• 50% Energy loss due to • Re use:

reflection
• Additional reflectors located in ways
• Unwanted heating of ancillary to redirect initially reflected laser
back to surface
components and
• Used in laser cladding
• Damage to laser and optics
1. Slightly changing beam
impingement angle
2. Reflection directed to different cool
absorbing surface

Fig: reflecting mirror

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Gas shielding

• Consistent moving layer of

gas at beam-material interface
1. Removing effluent: gentle flow of
air
2. Excludes O2 from interaction
region in laser alloying /cladding
3. Adjust surface tension of molten
pool: by controlled amount of O2
4. Oxide formation: to enhance Fig: Gas shielding
absorption by adding high amount
of O2 https://www.intechopen.com/media/chapter/62810/medi
a/F3.png

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Beam stirring

• Enhances solidification of
molten metal
• Motion /pulsation of beams :
1. Beam oscillating sinusoidally
2. Using vibrating mirror.

Fig: sinusoidal beam geometry

https://www.intechopen.com/media/chapter/62810/media/F1.png

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Thank You

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