An analytical model for bending angle in metal/ceramic bilayer system of laser forming

An analytical model based on force and moment balances is developed to predict the bending angle in metal/ceramic bilayer material systems when applying a laser forming process. The formula is derived based on the assumptions that the plastic deformation is generated only during heating, while during cooling the plate undergoes only elastic deformation. Results are obtained for a bilayer plate of an Al 6061 metallic layer and a SiC ceramic layer. Moreover, numerical simulation is carried out using the finite element analysis method to estimate the accuracy of the presented model, which shows that the results of analytical model are in good agreement with the numerical simulation. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3041478]