Three Dimensional Thermal Elastic-plastic Analysis of Laser Forming Process.

Laser forming is a metal forming process by thermal stresses under laser irradiation without an external force exerted to material. The process has a high possibility as a rapid proto-typing, because the process does not need any die or punch in a metal forming process. Three dimensional thermal elastic-plastic analysis on a stainless steel plate during laser scans was done by the finite element method. The temperature, stress and plastic strain distributions in a plate were obtained analytically as well as the deformation of a plate. The simulated bending angle of the plate was compared with experimental results. It is clarified that the bending of a metal plate is produced by compressive stresses due to a local expansion on a laser-irradiated area.