Model of laser heating with induction pre- and post-heating and its experimental verification

Mathematical model of laser heating with induction pre- and/or post-heating is presented and solved. The purpose of this combined way of heat treatment is to reduce residual mechanical stresses in the surface layers of the processed material produced by high temperature gradients at the spots heated by the laser beam. The 3D model takes into account all important nonlinearities including the temperature dependencies of physical parameters of involved materials (such as the magnetic permeability, electric or thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity etc.). Its numerical solution is carried out by the finite element method. The methodology is illustrated with a practical example whose selected results are verified by measurements.