CC BY
5In-situ laser-assisted turning of particle-reinforced aluminum
matrix composites technology
W. Hu1*, J. Zhang1
1- Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
While particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (PRAMCs) hold great promise for thermal management in electronic devices and the lightweighting of advanced structural components, achieving high-quality surfaces of PRAMCs is challenging due to the significant differences in physical and mechanical properties between the ductile matrix and the brittle particles, which leads to substantial surface damage and tool wear during machining. In this study, we propose a processing strategy of in-situ laser-assisted turning (In-LAT) that couples laser irradiation with diamond cutting to regulate the machining deformation behavior of PRAMCs. First, an optical analysis of the laser beam propagation within the diamond tool is conducted to determine optimal laser incidence parameters. Furthermore, a thermal model of SiCp/Al composites under turning conditions is developed to predict the impact of the laser beam on the composite's temperature field during In-LAT. Based on the optical-thermal analysis, an In-LAT device is setup and then cutting experiment of In-LAT of SiCp/Al composites is performed. The experimental results demonstrated a 60% reduction in surface roughness (Sa) of the SiCp/Al composites by In-LAT compared to ordinary turning. Current work provides a feasible method for achieving low-damage, high-quality surface in the machining of PRAMCs.
