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Thermophysical Simulation and Experimental Verification of Remelting Lines During Laser Polishing of H13 Tool Steel

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Abstract

Laser polishing is a surface finishing operation in which a superficial layer of material is being redistributed in a controlled manner, typically to achieve a better surface quality. In this study, three-dimensional numerical model has been developed to investigate the formation of remelted line during the laser polishing (LP) of H13 tool steel. To closely mimic the thermophysics of laser line formation, several different heat transfer mechanisms have been included in the simulation. Furthermore, to enhance model accuracy and applicability, experimental calibrations were conducted to determine more accurate representations of material absorptivity, a parameter that is typically assumed as constant in the literature. The experimental validations performed have proved that the model can constitute a reliable alternative to time and cost consuming trial-and-error physical LP experiments that are commonly used to analyze the effect of various process parameters on post-polished surface quality.

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Abbreviations

ρ :

Density

k :

Conductivity

T :

Temperature of the workpiece

H :

Enthalpy

c p :

Specific heat capacity in constant pressure

q ” :

Applied heat flux

A :

Absorptivity

r :

Radial position

w :

Gaussian laser beam spot radius

P :

Total laser power

I :

Laser intensity

h :

Convection heat transfer coefficient

ε :

Surface emissivity ε ∈ [0, 1]

σ :

Stefan-Boltzman constant = 5.56×10-8 W/m2K4

L :

Latent heat of fusion

ref :

reference

s :

surface

∞ :

surrounding

rad:

emitted radiation

liq:

liquidous

sol:

solidus

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Acknowledgments

The work presented in this study is the result of the collaboration between Western University (London, Ontario, Canada) and National Research Council of Canada (London, Ontario, Canada). Partial financial support was also provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. The authors would also like to acknowledge CMC Microsystems for the provision of the CFD simulation software that has been used in this research. Note: All three authors have contributed equally to this work.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, N6A 5B9, Canada

      Shirzad Mohajerani, Evgueni V. Bordatchev, O. Remus Tutunea-Fatan & Joshua D. Miller

    2. Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Center, National Research Council of Canada, 800 Collip Circle, N6G 4X8, London, Ontario, Canada

      Evgueni V. Bordatchev, O. Remus Tutunea-Fatan & Joshua D. Miller

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    1. Shirzad Mohajerani
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    Correspondence to Evgueni V. Bordatchev or O. Remus Tutunea-Fatan.

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    Mohajerani, S., Bordatchev, E.V., Tutunea-Fatan, O.R. et al. Thermophysical Simulation and Experimental Verification of Remelting Lines During Laser Polishing of H13 Tool Steel. Lasers Manuf. Mater. Process. 7, 317–337 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40516-020-00120-4

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