An analytical model for laser tube bending

Laser tube bending is a flexible forming process by which metal tube can be bent without external forces. For identifying the relationships between the bending angle and the processing parameters, a new analytical model describing the bending angle is established. The model gives an analytical expression for the bending angle as a function of the energy (laser power, absorption, scanning speed), geometric (tube diameter and wall thickness) and material properties (coefficient of thermal expansion, density, heat capacity, Young's modulus, yield stress). In order to verify the theoretical model, bending angles estimated by the proposed model are compared with those measured experimentally and the effects of the laser bending parameters on the final bending angle are discussed using the established model. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.