BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Sept. 3 -- Western Kentucky University issued the following news release:
Faculty in Western Kentucky University's School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, housed within the WKU Ogden College of Science & Engineering, are examining what happens to metal when it is cut with high-energy manufacturing processes such as industrial lasers.
Led by Dr. Ben Dinan, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at WKU, the team is investigating the "heat-affected zone" (HAZ) created during laser cutting. While laser tools produce precise cuts, the rapid heating and cooling change the metal's internal structure and mechanical properties near the cut. Understanding these changes enables engineers to design safer, more reliable, a...