Temperature field computation for a rotating cylindrical workpiece under laser quenching

Laser quenching is usually performed on a localized area of workpiece surfaces through a certain thermal cycle. As a result, the treated area possesses improved mechanical properties. The quality of the treatment results depends on the selection of laser process parameters, which relies on the knowledge of the temperature field caused by laser heating. This paper reports a model for the evaluation of the laser-induced thermal field. This model assumes a laser beam of uniform intensity and considers the effect of the base temperature on the total temperature. Surface temperatures were computed and compared for different scanning velocities and laser spot sizes. The analyses indicate that the temperature in later-heated areas is much higher than that in earlier-heated areas.