Analytical solution of transient three-dimensional temperature field in a rotating cylinder subject to a localized laser beam

Laser-assisted machining (LAM) is a growing trend in machining of hard to cut materials. In most experimental cases, LAM is carried out in two stages; first, laser and machine parameters are tuned to adjust the temperature at the material removal point (T_mr), and second, the cutting tool is engaged to cut the points that have already been heated by the laser. Alternatively, an analytical model for the prediction of temperature filed can replace lengthy experimentation needed for tuning the material removal temperature. This paper presents an analytical solution to the transient temperature field in a rotating cylinder subject to a localized laser heat source based on Green’s functions. The analytical solution is validated by comparing the surface point temperatures to thermal experiments on DIN 1.7225 steel, which shows good agreement in trend and values. Furthermore, a finite element model is developed and verified by the results of the same experiments, providing a more detailed investigation on the performance of the analytical model. The developed analytical scheme can be used to readily calculate pointwise temperatures on workpiece surface and internal points which can be used as a tool for designing machining conditions.