Effect of component geometry on the dynamic thermal field generated in the laser forming of AA6061-T6 sheet

Laser forming (LF) technology is an advanced, highly customizable non-contact method for shaping metal sheets, characterized by its heightened precision and flexibility. This experimental and numerical study investigates the influence of component geometry on the dynamic temperature field arising from LF of AA6061-T6 sheet metal. Finite element models were constructed to analyse the dynamic temperature field variations in plates with different dimensions. The findings demonstrate the significant effect of sheet dimensions on the induced thermal field, that consequentially affect the deformation. In contrast to a stable heating and cooling profile observed in a 50mm-wide or greater sample, a 20mm-wide or smaller sample exhibits a temperature resurgence or reflection along the laser pathway. The deformation of the aluminium plate therefore decreases with the reduction in geometry size. The analysis of this thermal behaviour helps to explain this and further advances the understanding of the LF mechanism specific to high thermal-conductivity materials.