Résumé
An iterative approach to laser forming gives the ability to measure the shape after each stage of forming and therefore vary subsequent processing conditions to converge on the desired shape without the need for extreme levels of accuracy in material characterisation and process modelling. Three-dimensional laser forming of nondevelopable surfaces brings along the need for an accurate model of both the bending and membrane strain necessary to form the shape of interest. We report a new approach to iterative laser forming of non-developable surfaces, defined as surfaces with non zero Gaussian curvature (e.g. pillow or saddle), where the required membrane strain is calculated from a finite element simulation. The laser scan pattern and heating distribution is applied on the specimen in form of a fixed scan lattice. This forming approach has been used not only to form pillow and saddle shapes but also to straighten friction stir-welded AA2024T3 plates. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first iterative laser correction of distorted welded structures.