LASERS IN GREEN MANUFACTURING PROCESS

S.BALASUBRAMANIAN

Department of mechanical EngineeringSNSCE

INTRODUCTION

• Heat treatment is one of the manufacturing processes

• Enhance strength of metal components• Hard or Soft • Selective hardening Ex: Teeth• Engine cylinder • Types of heat treatment processes• Flame,Case,Electron beam,Induction,laser

.

FLAME HARDENING

CASE HARDENING

CARBURIZING

ELECTRON BEAM HARDENING

.

LASER SURFACE HARDENING

INDUCTION HARDENING

.

Safe and healthy work piece is important in sustainable manufacturing process.

Laser surface hardening process-on major part of its applications, not using quenching oil or water, is less detrimental to the environment.

Not affecting the sorroundings,less distortion, time save, no heating up, accurate case depth, no need of specific tools,flexible,no additional machining, power saving and very less air polluted process.

With these qualities of laser surface hardening (real time problem)- the bottom rollers on textile machine are taken for experimental analysis.

BOTTOM ROLLER

• The bottom rollers - medium carbon steel (En9) (AISI 1055)

• continuous running

• radial, thrust, torsion, and compressive stresses

• eccentric running affects the yarn quality. • The present heat treatment process is induction hardening, which partially fulfill

the requirements.

.

The complicated contour surface of the roller was hardened with Nd-YAG laser at RRCAT-Indore.

The samples and specimen were tested for micro hardness, depth of hardness, grain structure, temperature distribution, wear and trial running on the textile ring spinning machine at mills. The comparative results shows improved hardness at critical contours and samples produced better yarns on the machine.

The yarns produced from laser treated bottom rollers tested at SITRA shows lesser hairiness, thin and thick places than the yarn produced by the adjacent by induction hardened rollers. Also improved production rate.

The return on investment is short by reducing manufacturing operations when compared to the traditional heat treatment processes.

The laser surface hardening gives better quality on work piece and less polluted manufacturing process.

Objective

Experimental analysis of bottom rollers.

Indentify the suitable laser parameters.

Compare the results with existing process.

Highlight the advantages of laser hardening towards quality

and green manufacturing.

Reveal the return on investment of laser source.

PARAMETERS for LASER HARDENING and INDUCTION HARDENING

Parameter Units Range

Laser power (w) Watts

Scanning speed(v) mm/s

Pulse width(s) ms

INDUCTION HARDENING

Electro power (w) Kilowatts

Traverse speed (v1) mm/s

Frequency (f) Hz

Developed mathematical model for 3 factor 5 levels

.

• Optical microscopy, micro hardness test, depth of hardness at PSG and RRCAT

• Wear test at KARUNYA University lab• FEA analysis made for temperature distribution with ANSYS software

LEITZ MINI-2 Hardness Tester

Olympus Microscope

Ducom-TR20 Wear Tester

DIRECT EFFECT OF POWER ON HARDNESS

0 50 100 150 200 250 3000

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Series1Series3Series5

LASER POWER WATTS

HARD

NES

S H

V

HAIRINESS IN YARN

EXISTING IMPROVED

Comparison Induction Vs Laser

SL.NO DESCRIPTION LASER HARDENINGINDUCTION HARDENING

1 Power consumption Low Medium

2 Work piece distortion Very low Medium

3 Quenching Not compulsory Compulsory

4Pollution by quenching

No Yes

5Surface oxidation by hardening

Very less Medium

6 Surface finish GoodAffected by quenching

7 Health hazard No Yes

8 Production cost Less More

9 Quality of product Better Good

10Investment on equipment

More Low

11 Return on investment Short Long

12 Need of Co-processes Less More

13Pollution Control Approval by Government

No Yes

14Recommendation to Green manufacture

Yes No

.

SL.

NODESCRIPTION

INDUCTION

HARDENING COST

Appx.Rs.

LASER

HARDENING COST

Appx.Rs.

1INVESTMENT ON

HARDENING SOURCE

20 Lakhs 60 Lakhs

2BEND REMOVING PRESS 12 Lakhs NIL

3SURFACE GRINDING 15 Lakhs NIL

4

MASS ROLLER HANDLING

WITH SPECIAL

CONTAINERS-PRESS TO

GRINDING

2 Lakhs NIL

5QUENCHING OIL,WATER 0.5 Lakhs NIL

6ROLLER REPAIR AND

REPLACEMENT AT MILLS

1 Lakh/Year/Machine NIL

7LOSS OF PROFIT DUE TO

HAIRINESS IN YARN

3 Lakhs/ Year/Machine NIL

8ENVIRONMENT EFFECT MEDIUM VERY LESS

Conclusion

• The important objective in the surface hardening process are to get

quality components, low production cost and foremost healthy

environment to human being.

• Laser surface hardening highlights its uniqueness towards green

manufacturing.

• The increasing health awareness in global market adopt this technology

as an update.

References

• [1].P. Dinesh Babu, K.R. Balasubramanian, G. Buvanashekaran, Laser Surface Hardening – A Review, International Journal Surface Science and Engineering,Vol.5,N.2-3, (2011),pp.131-151.

• [2].CITGO-Quenching Oil 22,Product:Metal Working Fluid,(2005),Chronic health hazard notes.

• [3].Friedrich Bachmann, Industrial applications of high power diode lasers in materials processing, Applied Surface Science Vol.208-209, (2003),pp.125-136.

• [4].Tomáš ,Laser surface treatment not only for automobiles, Industrial Laser solutions for manufacturing,(2010)www.industrial lasers.com.

• [5].JohnHyun Moon,Melting characteristics of metals by combined laser beams with different wavelengths, Journal of Laser Applications,Vol.15,(2003),pp.37-42.

• [6].J. Lawrence and L Li,Wettability characteristics of a modified mild steel with CO2,Nd-YAG,excimer and high power diode lasers, Journal of Physics,Vol.32.(1999).

• [7].M.Nogueiras,j.Penide,R.Comesana,J.del Val,Feasibility Study of wide band laser surface treatment, SciVerse Science Direct, 41, (2013), pp. 356-361.

• [8].Air Pollution May Speed Hardening of Arteries, By Health Day - April 23,(2013).

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