Bending deformation of laser peened aluminium alloy with uniform rectangular spots

Abstract

The bending deformation of 2024 aluminium alloy plate peened with rectangular laser beam of uniform intensity has been studied theoretically and experimentally. Based on the biharmonic equation and pure bending model, the residual stress and radius of curvature are derived from the laser intensity and the depth from the laser peened surface. Aluminium alloy plate was formed by the uniform rectangular laser spot shaped from Nd: glass pulse laser. The residual stress distribution of peened aluminium alloy plate was measured by X-ray diffraction, and the experimental radius of curvature was 2147.3 mm at a laser intensity of 3.3 GW cm^− 2. The measured results, both the distribution of residual stress and radius of curvature, fit well with those obtained from the proposed theory.