Laser Assisted Milling of Ti-6Al-4V ELI with the Analysis of Surface Integrity and its Economics

This study presents the experimental evaluation of laser assisted milling (LAML) of Ti-6AL-4V ELI (Ti-64), which is used in the orthopedic industry, by using localized preheating of the workpiece via laser irradiation. Improvements to the machinability of this material with LAML are assessed while c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lasers in manufacturing and materials processing 2015-09, Vol.2 (3), p.164-185
Main Authors: Hedberg, Gary K., Shin, Yung C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Engineering
Industrial and Production Engineering
Machines
Manufacturing
Processes
Surfaces and Interfaces
Thin Films
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Summary:This study presents the experimental evaluation of laser assisted milling (LAML) of Ti-6AL-4V ELI (Ti-64), which is used in the orthopedic industry, by using localized preheating of the workpiece via laser irradiation. Improvements to the machinability of this material with LAML are assessed while considering the surface integrity. Suitable laser heating conditions as well as machining conditions are determined based on temperature prediction modeling. Machinability improvements are shown in terms of tool wear, material removal rates and cutting force reduction. Systematic characterization of samples is shown to demonstrate that the machined sub-surfaces are not adversely affected during LAML by precisely controlling laser heating, via hardness measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for microstructure analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for residual stresses. An economic analysis shows that LAML provides the cost reduction over conventional machining.
ISSN:2196-7229
2196-7237
DOI:10.1007/s40516-015-0013-4