Using Direct Diode Lasers for the Heat-Assisted Forming of Sheet Metal
These issues can be circumvented by raising the temperature of the steel before forming, but heating steel sheets can be very energy-intensive.To get more news about Metal stamping parts, you can visit tenral.com official website.
Monocrom edge-emitting laser diodes permit precise, efficient and targeted heating. This enhances sheet metal formability without the huge energy losses which comes with other heating methods.A fundamental form of metal from which products and components are created is sheet metal. Applications include household appliances, buildings and body panels for aircraft and vehicles.
Sheet metal is transformed into these items by utilizing a variety of stretching and bending processes collectively known as sheet metal forming methods.
Stamping is one of these methods, whereby sheet metal is formed by pressing it against a die in a stamping press. Roll-forming is another technique where sheet metal is bent into a specific cross-section as it passes through a series of rollers.
Although these methods are ideal for shaping a wide range of different sheet metals, they are of limited use in processing ultra-high-strength steels. Global industry is moving towards enlarged use of ultra-high-strength steels, especially for automotive applications where weight reduction is crucial.2–4
The relatively high brittleness of these materials and the forces needed to shape them mean that traditional sheet metal forming methods, such as roll-forming and stamping, frequently lead to spring-back, cracking or distortion of the final product.5
‘Hot forming’ is the solution to this problem. This involves heating the steel plate prior to forming it. Heating can enhance the ductility of ultra-high-strength steels dramatically, making it possible to roll-form large bend angles and stamp high-strength steel sheets without springback.2,4
In industry, there are a variety of heating methods which are commonly used, including the use of electric furnaces and electromagnetic induction (‘inductive heating’). These heating methods have their own benefits and drawbacks, but they also share some common problems.
The main issue is that they are highly energy-intensive. Such heating methods usually heat the entire metal sheet which needs a huge amount of energy, and in turn, raises the costs. Further to this, heating some types of steel (particularly ultra-high-strength steel) can introduce weaknesses.
Luckily, these weaknesses are usually counteracted by work-hardening that happens during the forming process; but unworked areas can remain weakened from the heating process if the entire sheet is heated.2By utilizing high-efficiency lasers to selectively heat only the areas of the steel which are to be worked, Monocrom direct diode lasers provide an alternative solution to the hot forming of steel.
Monocrom MET series lasers are based on edge-emitting diode technology and allow the advantages of hot forming to be realized without the related energy losses and weakening that occur when unworked areas of the sheet are heated.
The ductility of the workpiece can be fine-tuned by just heating the areas of the sheet that are to be worked. This allows the formation of complex structures with small bending radii and large bending angles without spring-back or cracks.
The lifetime of forming tools is also increased because of decreased forming forces; and residual stress in the metal during the forming process can be released, resulting in higher production accuracy. Controlled energy deposition and high efficiency minimize energy usage and lifetime costs.
These issues can be circumvented by raising the temperature of the steel before forming, but heating steel sheets can be very energy-intensive.To get more news about Metal stamping parts, you can visit tenral.com official website.
Monocrom edge-emitting laser diodes permit precise, efficient and targeted heating. This enhances sheet metal formability without the huge energy losses which comes with other heating methods.A fundamental form of metal from which products and components are created is sheet metal. Applications include household appliances, buildings and body panels for aircraft and vehicles.
Sheet metal is transformed into these items by utilizing a variety of stretching and bending processes collectively known as sheet metal forming methods.
Stamping is one of these methods, whereby sheet metal is formed by pressing it against a die in a stamping press. Roll-forming is another technique where sheet metal is bent into a specific cross-section as it passes through a series of rollers.
Although these methods are ideal for shaping a wide range of different sheet metals, they are of limited use in processing ultra-high-strength steels. Global industry is moving towards enlarged use of ultra-high-strength steels, especially for automotive applications where weight reduction is crucial.2–4
The relatively high brittleness of these materials and the forces needed to shape them mean that traditional sheet metal forming methods, such as roll-forming and stamping, frequently lead to spring-back, cracking or distortion of the final product.5
‘Hot forming’ is the solution to this problem. This involves heating the steel plate prior to forming it. Heating can enhance the ductility of ultra-high-strength steels dramatically, making it possible to roll-form large bend angles and stamp high-strength steel sheets without springback.2,4
In industry, there are a variety of heating methods which are commonly used, including the use of electric furnaces and electromagnetic induction (‘inductive heating’). These heating methods have their own benefits and drawbacks, but they also share some common problems.
The main issue is that they are highly energy-intensive. Such heating methods usually heat the entire metal sheet which needs a huge amount of energy, and in turn, raises the costs. Further to this, heating some types of steel (particularly ultra-high-strength steel) can introduce weaknesses.
Luckily, these weaknesses are usually counteracted by work-hardening that happens during the forming process; but unworked areas can remain weakened from the heating process if the entire sheet is heated.2By utilizing high-efficiency lasers to selectively heat only the areas of the steel which are to be worked, Monocrom direct diode lasers provide an alternative solution to the hot forming of steel.
Monocrom MET series lasers are based on edge-emitting diode technology and allow the advantages of hot forming to be realized without the related energy losses and weakening that occur when unworked areas of the sheet are heated.
The ductility of the workpiece can be fine-tuned by just heating the areas of the sheet that are to be worked. This allows the formation of complex structures with small bending radii and large bending angles without spring-back or cracks.
The lifetime of forming tools is also increased because of decreased forming forces; and residual stress in the metal during the forming process can be released, resulting in higher production accuracy. Controlled energy deposition and high efficiency minimize energy usage and lifetime costs.