Statistical Modelling and Optimization of Operating Parameters in Laser Forming of Ti6Al4V Alloy Thin Metal Sheets

Resumen

Laser forming shapes metal sheets into a functional part by exploiting thermally induced stresses rather than mechanical forces. Localized irradiation by a high-power laser generates a steep temperature gradients that drive the deformation of the sheet. Because the processing parameters significantly influence these thermal stresses, understanding their individual and interactive effects is crucial for precise control of deformation. In this paper, the interactions between laser forming parameters and bending angle are investigated using a statistical approach. Experiments were performed using a 4 kW fiber laser on thin Ti6Al4V alloy sheets. Based on the experimental data, a correlation between the bending angle and process parameters was established using a second-order regression model. An R² value of 96.42% indicates that the proposed equation accurately predicts the bending angle for the defined range of input parameters. Both ANOVA and Pareto analysis demonstrated that the interactive effects of process parameters strongly influence the bending angle. Among the individual factors, scanning speed was identified as the most influential parameter, followed by the number of scans, laser power, and beam size. The optimization of processing parameters suggests a laser power of 300 W, a scan speed of 2000 mm/min, a beam size of 2 mm, and 10 scans can produce a maximum bending angle of 32°.