Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S43276/01
Title:	Laser Forming for the Correction of Distortion and Design Shape in Aluminium Structures
Principal Investigator:	Dearden, Professor G
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	School of Engineering
Organisation:	University of Liverpool
Scheme:	First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts:	01 December 2003	Ends:	30 November 2005	Value (£):	124,793
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Lasers & Optics Materials testing & eng. Structural Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The principal aim of the research is to achieve, through the application of laser forming, the ability to demonstrate predictable and accurate correction of distortion and design shape in aluminium structures. A flexible and automatable method of accurate shape adjustment of structures in aluminium alloys would be attractive to industry. Laser forming is a potential non-contact method of producing bending, spatial forming and alignment of metallic components and is achieved by introducing thermal stresses into the surface of a work-piece by controlled irradiation with a focussed laser beam. The proposed research will exploit the recent availability of high power Nd:YAG laser technology, where there has been little previous work in laser forming, and which allows fibre optic delivery of the laser beam for potential added flexibility in the irradiation strategy. Comparisons between this and current work with C02 lasers will be possible and fundamental studies on the forming effect of scanned laser beam irradiation and non-oblique incidence are proposed. Other original work will include the identification of new 3-D spatial laser forming mechanisms, investigation of full reversal of the laser forming process and the development of Finite Element Models to interface between the deviation from design shape (identified by 3-D surface characterisation) and the laser forming parameters required for shape correction (by a process of 'reverse engineering' linked to the internal residual stresses). A number of subsequent research areas have been identified which will lead on from this project platform.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.liv.ac.uk