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A Comparative Study of High-Power Diode Laser and CO2 Laser Surface Hardening of AISI 1045 Steel

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Abstract

The study investigates laser surface hardening in the AISI 1045 steel using two different types of industrial laser: a high-power diode laser (HPDL) and a CO2 laser, respectively. The effect of process parameters such as beam power, travel speed on structure, case depth, and microhardness was examined. In most cases, a heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed below the surface; a substantial increase in surface hardness was achieved. In addition, big differences were found between the hardened specimens after HPDL surface hardening and CO2 laser surface hardening. For HPDL, depths of the HAZ were almost equal in total HAZ o, without surface melting. For CO2 laser, the depths changed a lot in the HAZ, with surface melting in the center. To better understand the difference of laser hardening results when use these two types of laser, numerical (ANSYS) analysis of the heat conduction involved in the process was also studied. For HPDL method, a rectangular beam spot and uniform energy distribution across the spot were assumed, while for CO2 laser, a circular beam spot and Gaussian energy distribution were assumed. The results showed that the energy distribution variety altered the thermal cycles of the HAZ dramatically. The rectangular HPDL laser beam spot with uniform energy distribution is much more feasible for laser surface hardening.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the financial support provided by the the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20130469) and the Natural Science Research Program for Higher Education in Jiangsu Province (13KJB430009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, No. 2, Mengxi Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212003, People’s Republic of China

    Ruifeng Li, Yajuan Jin & Kai Qi

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Zhuguo Li

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  1. Ruifeng Li
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  2. Yajuan Jin
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  3. Zhuguo Li
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  4. Kai Qi
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Correspondence to Ruifeng Li.

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Li, R., Jin, Y., Li, Z. et al. A Comparative Study of High-Power Diode Laser and CO2 Laser Surface Hardening of AISI 1045 Steel. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 23, 3085–3091 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1146-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1146-x

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