Prediction and Optimization of Laser Transformation Hardening Parameters of Unalloyed Titanium Using RSM

Abstract

The optimization abilities in Design-expert software were used to optimize the laser phase transformation hardened bead profile parameters, i.e., to maximize hardened bead width (HBW) and to minimize, the heat input (HI), hardened depth (HD) and angle of entry of hardened bead profile (AEHB) in continuous wave (CW) Nd:YAG laser transformation hardening of unalloyed titanium sheet with 1.6 mm thickness. The mathematical models were developed from Response Surface Methodology (RSM) are used to predict the laser phase transformation hardened bead profile parameters in terms of the laser process factors; namely laser power (LP), scanning speed (SS) and focused position (FP), used to optimize the laser transformation hardening process. The goal was to set the process factors at optimum values to reach the desirable laser hardened bead quality and to increase the production rate. In fact, two optimization criteria; numerical and graphical optimization techniques were taken into account using the design-expert software. In this investigation, optimal solutions were found those would improve the hardened quality, increase the productivity and minimize the total operation cost. In addition to that, superimposing the contours for the various response surfaces produced overlay plots. It has been investigated that the results accomplished from both numerical optimization and graphical methods ensured almost analogous values to each other for optimal LTH conditions in all the cases.

Keywords: LTH, RSM, optimization, laser hardened bead parameter

Cite this Article:

Duradundi Sawant Badkar, Krishnashankar Pandey, G.Buvanashekaran., Prediction and Optimization of Laser Transformation Hardening Parameters of Unalloyed Titanium Using RSM. Journal of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering. 2015; 5(1): 1-11p.