Numerical Simulation of Plasma Dynamics and Shock-Induced Residual Stresses in the Laser Shock Processing of Metallic Materials

Abstract

- Laser Shock Processing (LSP) is developed as a technique allowing the effective induction of residual stresses fields in metallic materials allowing a high degree of surface material protection against fatigue crack propagation, abrasive wear, chemical corrosion and other failure conditions. - This makes the technique specially suitable and competitive with presently use techniques for the treatment of heavy duty components in the aeronautical, nuclear and automotive industries. - However, the practical application of LSP treatments to real high reliability components is burdened by a lack of physical understanding of material transformation mechanisms and the subsequent process design capability. - By means of an integrated Modelling-Processing-Testing approach, the authors show the way for a reliable progress in the physical process understanding and gained process design capability assuring the desired components performance improvement sought through the application of LSP treatments. - A brief summary description of such integrated approach is described together with some examples of its application and a presentation of he most relevant challenges envisaged for real-scale process design and implementation.