Hardening of aluminium by YAG : Nd laser radiation with an average power of 0.8 kW

An investigation is reported of the effects of a surface heat treatment of aluminium by a YAG : Nd laser beam with a power up to 0.8 kW. In particular, a study was made of the influence of the treatment conditions on the microhardness, as well as on the residual stresses and their sign in hardened surface layers of aluminium. The efficiency of aluminium hardening by radiation from a cw YAG : Nd laser was found to be considerably higher than in the case of a cw CO₂ laser.