Development of a system for the laser assisted forming of plate

Abstract

Prior work has shown that thermal processing by laser radiation may be used to form plates into relatively complex shapes at sufficient production rates without the need for ancillary tooling. However, the most effective means of obtaining specific shapes by laser assisted forming requires a combination of adaptive sensing and control. This presentation will discuss the continuing development of an integrated system and techniques the authors believe are necessary to achieve shaping of complex components by the laser assisted forming process. Integration of the robotics and laser displacement sensor into the modularized software development strategy is discussed. The three-pronged control system development strategy, which includes investigation of iterative optimization techniques, expert system algorithms, and knowledge base search and interpolation procedures, is outlined. Preliminary finite element analysis and modeling work will also be presented.