• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.1048-1054
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• 2003

In laser surface hardening processes, the geometrical parameters such as the depth and the width of a hardened layer can be utilized to assess the hardened layer quality. However, accurate monitoring of the geometrical parameters for on-line process control as well as for on-line quality evaluation is very difficult because the hardened layer is formed beneath a material surface and is not visible. Therefore, temperature monitoring of a point of specimen surface has most frequently been used as a process monitoring method. But, a hardened layer depends on the temperature distribution and the thermal history of a specimen during laser surface hardening processing. So, this paper describes the estimation results of the geometric parameters using multi-point surface temperature monitoring. A series of hardening experiments were performed to find the relationships between the geometric parameters and the measured temperature. Estimation results using a neural network show the enhanced effectiveness of multi-point surface temperature monitoring compared to one-point monitoring.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.883-888
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• 1993

This paper proposes a monitoring method using an infrared temperature sensor in laser surface hardening process. To investigate the validity of the method a series of experiments are performed for various conditions. The experimental results show that the surface temperature depends upon the laser power, travelling speed and surface conditions of a specimen. Especially, the laser surface hardening process is greatly influenced by the surface conditions of the specimen, such as coating thickness and materials.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1048-1054
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• 2011

Laser surface hardening process is the method of hardening surface by inducing rapid self quenching of laser injected area through transfer of surface heat to inside after rapid heating of laser injected area only by high density energy heat source. This surface treatment method does not involve virtually any thermal deformation by heat treatment nor accompanies any other process after surface hardening treatment. In addition, allowing local machining, this method is a surface treatment method suitable for die with complicated shape. In this study, die material cast iron was surface-treated by using high power diode laser with beam profile suitable for heat treatment. Since the shapes of die differ by press die process, specimens were heat-treated separately on plane and corner depending on the applied parts. At this time, corner heat treatment was done with optic head inclined at $10^{\circ}$. As a result, corner heat treatment easily involves concentration of heat input due to limitation of heat transfer route by the shapes compared with plane part, so the treatment accomplished hardening at faster conveying speed than plane heat treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.4 s.193
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• pp.57-67
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• 2007

Laser surface hardening technologies have been used to improve characteristics of wear and to enhance the fatigue resistance fur mold parts. The objective of this research work is to investigate the influence of the process parameters, such as power of laser and defocused spot position, on the characteristics of laser surface hardening for the case of SKD61 steel. CW Nd:YAG laser is selected as the heat source. The optical lens with the elliptical profile is designed to obtain a wide surface hardening area with a uniform hardness. From the results of the experiments, it has been shown that the maximum average hardness is approximatly 780 Hv when the power, focal position and the travel of laser are 1,095 W, 0mm and 0.3 m/min, respectively. In samples treated with lower scanning speeds, some small carbide particles appear in the interdendritic regions. This region contains fine martensite and carbide in proportions which depend on the local thermal cycle.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.24-32
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• 2007

Laser surface hardening is beneficially used for surface treatment of structural steel. Due to very rapid heating and cooling rates, structural low-alloy steel(SCM4) can be hardened as self quenching. The aim of this research project is to improve the influence of the process laser parameters: laser power, spot size, surface roughness, and traverse speed. The laser beam is allowed to scan on the surface of the workpiece at the constant power(1095W), varying the traverse speed at 0.3m/min, 0.5m/min and 0.8m/min. The optical lens with the elliptical profile is designed to obtain a wide surface hardening area with uniform hardness. From the results of the experiment, it has been shown that the stable hardness is about 600$\sim$700Hv, when the laser power, focal position and the traverse speed are P=1095W, z=0mm and v=0.3m/min.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.11-22
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• 2022

This paper presents the development process for a high-power diode laser for metal surface hardening. To combine the emissions from several laser bars, it is necessary to collimate the emitted light using an optical lens. Thus, to achieve a suitable power density and uniform beam profile, several optical layouts were proposed. To estimate the laser beam for a flat-top distribution, a numerical analysis was performed using the ZEMAX software, and the results were compared with the experimental results. With a focal lens assembled in a serial diode stack source, the design can utilize the advantage of compacting the overall beam size. Experimental results for a robotic system demonstrated the processing ability of this diode laser module in industrial laser hardening.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.246-251
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• 2005

Laser surface hardening is an effective technique used to improve the tribological properties and also to increase the service life of automobile components such as camshafts, crankshatfs, lorry brake drums and gears. High power $CO_2$ lasers and Nd:YAG lasers are employed for localized hardening of materials and hence are of potential application in the automobile industries. The heat is conducted rapidly into the bulk of the specimen causing self-quenching to occur and the formation of martensitic structure. In this investigation, the microstructure features occurring in Nd:YAG laser hardening SM45C steel are discussed with the use of optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Moreover, This paper describes the optimism of the processing parameters for maximum hardened depth of SM45C steel specimens of 3mm thickness by using CW Nd:YAG laser. Travel speed was varied from 0.6m/min to 1.0m/min. The maximum hardness and case depth fo SM45C steel are 780Hv and 0.4mm by laser hardening.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.176-183
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• 2005

Laser heat treatment technology is used for improving the feature of fatigue resistance and wear resistance in mobile parts. The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics of laser heat treatment and high frequency heat treatment, which is commonly used in industrial place. For the preemptive experiment, the distribution, depth and size of hardening and its micro-structural features were compared between surface heat treatment case by defocusing and variables of each process for heat treatment by exclusively manufactured heat treatment optical system. As a result, high frequency heat treatment has wide distribution of hardening depth and width about 3 times larger than laser heat treatment, however, its average hardness showed 621.4Hv which is smaller than the average hardness of laser heat treatment with 691Hv.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2009

Die steel for plastic molding were used as mold material of automobile parts and electronic component industry. The material of this paper has superior to mechanical properties, such as repair weldability, corrosion resistance and high temperature strength, required mold parts for semitransparent. Laser-induced surface hardening technology is widely adopted to improver fatigue life and wear resistance via localized hardening at the surface of mold parts. The objective of this research work is to investigate on the characteristics of surface hardening of the laser process parameters, such as beam travel speed, laser power and defocsued spot position, for the case of die steel for plastic molding. Lens for surface hardening of large area is plano-convex type with elliptical profile to maintain uniform laser irradiation. According to the experimental results, large size of hardened layer at the surface of die steel for plastic molding was achieved, and microstructure of this layer was lath martensite. Optimal surface status and mechanical property of hardened layer could be obtained at 1095Watt, $0.25{\sim}0.3m/min$, 0mm (focal length: 232mm) for laser power, beam travel speed, and focal position. Where, heat input was $0.793{\times}10^{3}J/cm^2$, and width of hardened layer was 27.58mm.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.64-72
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• 1993

Analytical models for the prediction of the size of hardened zone in laser surface hardening are presented. The models are based on the solutions to the problem of three-dimensional heat flow in plates with infinite thickness. The validity of the model was tested on medium carbon steel for Gaussian mode of beam. Then the model for rectagular beam was used for the predicition of the size of hardened zone on various hardening process parameters. From the calculation results it appeared that the size and shape of the hardened zone are strongly dependent on process parameters such as beam mode, beam size, and traverse speed.