Analytical Prediction of the Temperature Field in Laser Assisted Machining

Laser assisted machining (LAM) is a promising technology for machining hard to cut materials. In most experimental cases, LAM is undergone in two stages; first, the temperature at the material removal point (T_mr) is tuned by adjusting laser parameters and next, the cutting tool is engaged. Introduction of highly localized heat energy to the workpiece makes the modeling of this process very complicated. Hence, an analytical model for the first stage of the process - rather than multiple experiments or FE modelling - would be beneficial. This article presents an analytical solution to the transient, temperature field in a rotating cylinder subject to a localized laser heat source. The analytical model utilizes Green's functions to find an exact solution for the temperature distribution field.