Laser shock hardening method of solid material, such as metal or ceramic, by allowing laser beam to enter through solid and irradiating through liquid the surface of workpiece with laser beam

摘要

#CMT# #/CMT# The method involves: providing a solid transparent to the wavelength of the laser, serving as an entrance window to the surface of the liquid (22); allowing the liquid to be present in the light path of the laser beam (51) between the solid and the surface of the workpiece (41); and allowing the laser beam to enter through the solid and irradiating through the liquid the surface of the workpiece with the laser beam, thereby shock-hardening the surface of the workpiece. #CMT# : #/CMT# An independent claim is also included for a laser shock hardening apparatus. #CMT#USE : #/CMT# For irradiating surface of a solid material, such as metal or ceramic used in industrial fields of e.g. automobiles and aircrafts, with pulsed laser beam through a liquid to adjust surface or internal characteristics of material, such as structure, hardness and residual stress. #CMT#ADVANTAGE : #/CMT# Provides laser shock hardening method which enables a rise in the hardness of the surface of a workpiece and an improvement in residual stress in the surface, can eliminate spattering of a liquid and waving of the liquid surface upon laser irradiation, and can stably irradiate the workpiece with a laser beam. Workpiece can be processed at a sufficiently high speed without imposing an excessive burden on a driving device. #CMT#DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS : #/CMT# The figure is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a laser shock hardening apparatus. 12 : Power adjustment device 13 : Shutter 22 : Liquid 41 : Workpiece 51 : Laser beam.