Process map for laser heat treatment of carbon steels

Abstract

We propose a process map for diode-laser heat treatment of carbon steels. After first identifying a heat treatable region in terms of laser intensity and interaction time using a heat conduction model, two most important factors in heat treatment, carbon diffusion time in austenite and cooling time, are calculated and plotted in the heat treatable region. Because overall characteristics of laser heat treatment for a given steel type can be graphically visualized on a map, this map can be used in the determination of optimal process parameters. Hardening depth is also calculated using the concept of the critical effective carbon diffusion time. For demonstration and validation purposes, we have systematically conducted laser heat treatment on AISI 1020 and 1035 steel specimens using a 3 kW diode laser and measured surface hardness and hardening depth. The experimental results are in agreement with the calculated process map.