Effect of laser spot size on the residual stress field of pure Al treated by laser shock processing: Simulations

Laser shock processing (LSP) is a unique surface treatment technique. It induces high-depth compressive residual stresses for improved fatigue or stress corrosion cracking resistance. FEM simulation is an effective method to predict material behavior by LSP. A 2D quarter-infinite model was used to simulate the material behaviors of commercially pure Al by LSP. Different peak pressure with different laser spot diameter was applied to surface of pure Al. Each simulation included two steps: (i) explicit dynamics analysis for the analysis of the LSP; (ii) static equilibrium analysis for springback deformation analysis. The following conclusions could be made: (1) Plastically affected depth increased with the increase of laser spot diameter. There was an ultimate value about plastically affected depth when the laser spot diameter increased to some value, and the ultimate value was consistent with Ballard' model. When the laser spot diameter was small, there still existed tensile residual stresses on the surface layer of material although the peak pressure was below 2.5 HEL. When the diameter laser spot diameter was big enough, the tensile residual stresses on the surface layer of material were converted into compressive residual stresses although the peak pressure was higher than 2.5 HEL.