Laser technology is developing further
10/13/2015
VOLODYMYR S. KOVALENKO
Editor's note: For obvious reasons, it is not the practice of ILS
to present details of the many conferences on industrial laser material processing held around the world. However, the following report of a conference held under the most difficult, headline-generating circumstances is an exception. ILS
congratulates the organizers for continuing this conference series and the presenters and attendees for their dedication in making this conference happen.
There is war now in the very center of Europe—independent and sovereign Ukraine. One year ago, the Russian Army invaded the southern part of Ukraine and occupied the Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea. Here in Crimea is a small town, Katsively, where at the beginning of the new millennium a new tradition was born—to conduct the International Conference on Laser Technologies in Welding and Material Processing (LTWMP) every two years. This tradition was initiated by two Ukrainian institutions, the Paton Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) and the Laser Technology Research Institute (LTRI) of the National Technical University of Ukraine (KPI). The first conference was organized under the chairmanship of Prof. Boris Paton and Prof. Kovalenko in 2003, where experts from 22 countries successfully presented their research results. After that, six more conferences were conducted in Katsively—
the last one in 2013.
The next planned conference was organized in spite of the war in Ukraine. However, because of the occupation of Crimea, LTWMP 2015 was conducted in Odessa—the “Southern Palmira” of Ukraine—from September 14-19, 2015.
Presented at the conference were 29 reports on different aspects of laser technology development. The theme of the event was research activity in 3D additive laser processing in components manufacturing and remanufacturing, and its implementation into industry. The papers presented came from researchers in China, Germany, Poland, Spain, Russia, and Ukraine. Because of the complicated political and military situations due to the war in the area, the number of participants from Ukraine and abroad was limited, but the atmosphere of event was businesslike, very friendly, and cooperative.
A plenary paper titled “Development of 3D additive processing for product manufacturing in modern industry” was presented by Prof. Kovalenko. A cooperative paper titled “Research progress of supersonic laser deposition technology” by Prof. Jianhua Yao (director of the Research Center of Laser Processing Technology and Engineering of Zhejiang University of Technology, China) and Prof. Kovalenko was accepted by the audience with great interest.
A paper on the “Interaction of CO2 laser beam with electric arc plasma in hybrid (TIG + laser) welding” by Prof. Igor Krivtsun (NASU) demonstrated some key results of joint theoretical research of hybrid processing with colleagues Dr. U. Reisen et al. from RWTH Aachen University (Germany).
In line with the conference theme was the presentation “Advancement in joint research of laser cladding at components manufacturing” by authors J. Yao, O. Zang, and H. Hu (Research Center of Laser Processing Technology and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, China), and Prof. Kovalenko, M. Anyakin, and R. Zhuk (KPI).
In collaboration with Chinese colleagues (Dr. Luo Ziyi, Guangdong General Research Institute of Non-ferrous metals), Prof. Krivtsun demonstrated the results of joint research of welding aluminum alloys, “The increase of efficiency of hybrid welding of aluminum alloys”.
Prof. V. Shelyagin with his group at NASU presented an interesting paper with Chinese colleagues Wang Chusheng, Wan Dinda, and Zhen Shukhuey (China-Russian Technological Park, Changchun and Changchun Railway Car Building Plant) on “Laser manual machine for welding of railway transport products."
Several papers were devoted to the study of combined laser irradiation with other energy sources. So, postgraduate student Dymytro Lesik and his supervisor Prof. Vitaliy Dzhemelinski (KPI), in collaboration with Dr. S. Martinesz and Dr. A. Lamikiz (University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain) studied material processing with combined laser radiation and ultrasonic treatment. Their paper “Surface hardening of the steel parts with laser and ultrasonic treatment” precipitated useful discussion.
Other combined processing also fostered interesting discussion. A paper titled “Plasma + laser – new capabilities of plasma-powder surfacing" was presented jointly by Dr. A. Som (Plasma-Master Ltd., Kiev, Ukraine) and Prof. Krivtsun (NASU).
Chinese colleagues Dr. Wang Liang and Prof. Yao, with his group from Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovative Center of High-end Laser Manufacturing Equipment, Hangzhou, China, presented the results of the use of magnetic field to improve the quality of laser cladding in a paper titled “Effect of electro-magnetic composite field on WC particulate reinforced metal matrix composite layers by laser melt injection.”
Another research paper from the same institutions by Prof. Yao, Dr. Bo Li, and others, titled “Microstructure and wear-resistant properties of WC/SS316L composite coatings prepared with supersonic laser deposition,” was devoted to the improvement of composite coatings with supersonic laser deposition. These results met with great interest.
The use of laser irradiation for electrode wire improvement was considered as well by NTUU researchers Prof. L. Golovko, S. Shevchenko, Prof. Krivtsun, and V. Slobodyanyuk (PJSC “PlasmaTek,” Vinnitsa, Ukraine). These researchers presented the main results of their research in a paper titled “Capabilities of application of laser treatment for increasing the quality of electrode wire.”
The processing of materials in the conference title means not only the study of laser interaction with nonorganic material, different metal alloys, powder materials, etc., but irradiation of live tissue as well. Thus, the researchers from the Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy of the National Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine (Odessa) presented a paper on “Strength of chorioretinal joints after influence of high-frequency welding tissues and diode endolaser coagulation.” Another paper of this type was presented by Prof. I. Khudetsky with colleagues from KPI, Paton Welding Institute of NASU, and Junction Railway Hospital #1 “Darnitsa” (Kiev, Ukraine). Both presentations were also accepted with great interest.
A number of presentations disclosed the new efforts in developing different types of hybrid equipment, devices, and techniques to achieve advanced technology based on 3D laser additive processing.
In spite of all the difficulties, the conference proved that research in laser technology is far from saturation and further developments are in progress. The unanimous conclusion of all LTWMP 2015 participants was that the event was a success—and the next conference will be organized in 2017.
Laser technology is developing further - Industrial Laser Solutions