Dynamic laser beam shape for heat treatment of automotive components

Laser heat treatment (e.g. hardening) is becoming a widely used process for tailored improved mechanical properties of selected surfaces. The high energy density of the laser enables high rate temperature changes of the treated area. The process is flexible, clean and susceptible of automatization for quality control. One of its major challenges is dealing with geometrical singularities such as sharp edges or holes. In these cases, due to the differences in the surrounding volume of the material, overheating problems often appear, leading to unacceptable treatment results. Talens offers a scanner controlling software that is able to generate any energy density pattern on a selected area, offering full flexibility to adapt to any part geometry and process requirements. Thanks to the total control of the scanning optics integrated in the laser head, the software can provide a tailored two-dimensional energy distribution. The combination of different scanning patterns and speeds in addition to laser power modulation offer countless possibilities and the ability to heat selected regions in the most effective way. Different patterns can be created “onthe- run” simplifying the development effort for new parts. The total control of the energy distribution offers you the ability to avoid any area that is not required for treatment. The developed methodology, being directly applicable to other relevant materials and geometries, could find applications in other laser processes such as coating, welding, remelting and alloying.