Influence of cooling on edge effects in laser forming

Abstract Edge effects in laser forming influence the possible tolerances that can be achieved with laser forming. Edge effects arise due to uneven temperature profiles along the laser scan line. It has been suggested that an increased cooling rate can minimize the occurrence of edge effects. This work will examine the effect of increased cooling to reduce edge effects. The height profile along the laser scan line is reported and compared for different levels of cooling using experiments and simulations. The results show that increased cooling has no impact on the edge effects.