Thermo-Physical Modelling of Track Width During Laser Polishing of H13 Tool Steel

A three-dimensional CFD model has been developed to predict track width during laser polishing (LP) of H13 tool steel. The developed model incorporates several different mechanisms for heat transfer such as conduction, convection, and radiation as well as temperature dependencies for relevant material properties. Experimental calibration was carried out to obtain adequate absorptivity value. After performing the mesh-sensitivity assessment, simulation results have been validated against experimental data. The relatively low errors obtained suggest that the developed model is capable to accurately describe the effect of process parameters on molten pool dimensions and/or geometry.