METHOD FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING LASER SHOCK STRETCHING USING TEMPORAL PLASMA LIGHT SPECTRUM ANALYSIS

摘要

A method for quality assurance of a workpiece laser shock hardening process (108) includes measuring and recording temporal light intensity data over a short period of time during a plasma (8) produced from laser shots. The recorded time data is then analyzed to obtain an instantaneous optical spectrum of the plasma (8), then is used to provide statistical control of the production laser shock hardening process. A correlation function according to the present invention is based on a spectral intensity peak wavelength curve integrated in time for each of the laser shots, an intensity peak wavelength being determined a plurality of times during each plasma (8) of a plurality or all of the shots.