Analytical models for the prediction of deformation in laser shock bulging

Abstract Laser shock forming (LSF) is a novel plastic forming process which utilizes a laser-induced shock wave to deform sheet metals to 3D configurations. Quantitative evaluation of the deformation in LSF is of great importance to understand the forming mechanism and achieve the high precision. In this paper, considering parameters of material, geometry and processing, an analytical model was proposed to predict the deformation of plate in laser shock bulging. Models showed that the deformation is related to the impedances of the metal target and the confining overlay, the density, yield strength and thickness of the material, the radius of the die, and the energy, radius and pulse duration of the laser beam. The deformation profiles and the maximum deformation height calculated by the analytical model agree with those of the experiment, which validate the rationality of the constructed models. The maximum deformation height increases with an increase of laser energy, while it decreases with increasing plate thickness.