Comparative analysis of CW and pulsed laser processing for surface improvement of aluminum giga-casting components

Procedia CIRP, vol. 143, pp. 366–369

Abstract

High-pressure die-casting of large structures, also known as giga-casting, enables fabrication of complex, high strength and light-weight parts while eliminating the need to assemble numerous small components. The high-pressure process, however, often generates surface defects that require post-processing. Conventional defect removal techniques such as manual or automated abrasive processing put forth challenges such as dependency of quality on human skills, limited tolerance for geometrical variation, difficulty in reaching narrow areas and the need to replace tooling. The proposed laser-based surface defect removal technology can overcome the drawbacks of conventional abrasive methods. This study compares continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed laser processing to remove surface irregularities and achieve surface roughness within tolerance of die-cast aluminum components and maps the defects which can be addressed using the proposed technology.

Authors 4

1. Apoorva Nagarkar corresponding Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany

2. Jan-Hendrik Koch Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany

3. Florian Hüsing Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany

4. Christian Brecher Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering WZL

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering WZL of the RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany