Polishing Titanium- and Nickel-based Alloys using Cw-Laser Radiation

Polishing of metals by remelting with laser radiation is a method for automated polishing of 3D surfaces. A thin surface layer is molten and the surface tension leads to a material flow from the peaks to the valleys. The achievable polishing quality depends on the material and its quality. Results for polishing of titanium- and nickel-based alloys with cw laser radiation are represented in this paper. Starting from a roughness of Ra=1 μm a Ra value of 0.16 μm is achieved in 7 s/cm2 for Ti6Al4 V and a Ra value of 0.11 μm is achieved in 10 s/cm2 for Inconel718.