Calculation of the characteristics of a hardened layer using a model of laser steel hardening

A closed laser hardening model is tackled analytically and numerically. This model can be used to determine the depth of a hardened layer as a function of the degree of completion of the following processes: heat conduction, kinetics of growth of austenite grains and carbon diffusion, and precipitation of a carbide phase during laser heating of steels. The knowledge of the real distribution of carbon and of the structural state of phases makes it possible to calculate (in a linear approximation) the hardness profile with depth in the laser influence zone. Calculations of various technological parameters are made applying the model to various laser interaction regimes. The calculated results are compared with the available experimental data and it is shown that the adopted model can describe not only carbon steels, but also high-alloy steels.