Numerical study on laser forming of metal plates with pre-loads

This paper presents a numerical investigation on the effects of various pre-loads on the bent angle of the plate by using the laser forming process. The pre-loads investigated include pure compression, pure tension and pure bending. The analysis is performed using the nonlinear finite element analysis program – ANSYS. The results obtained show that pure compression and pure bending (where the bending is toward the laser beam) can increase the bent angle, while the pure tension and pure bending (where the bending is away from the laser beam) will decrease the bent angle.