Laser Transformation Hardening Of A Medium Carbon Steel: Part II Preliminary Assessment Of The Axicon Lens

TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 205/1983

By P J Oakley

Background

An Axicon lens system has been designed as an alternative to using scanning or rastering techniques for producing a more uniform hardened depth thnn obtained when laser transformation hardening with a defocused beam. A preliminary assessment of one specification of Axicon lens has been made. This showed that hardened zones of uniform depth could be made at a higher coverage rate than the lenticular shaped hardened zones produced using a defocused beam. However, very slight surface melting of the hardened tracks occurred at shallower hardened zone depths than for a defocused beam. Reasons for this are discussed and a modification to the lens specification to overcome this is suggested.

Details of a computer program developed to annlyse lens performance are given.