LIATool

The software developed for precision surface treatment directioning of laser shock peening (LSP) is designed to optimize and accelerate the experimental design of LSP treatment paths. It provides a user-friendly graphical interface that allows operators to quickly adjust parameters such as laser spot shapes, intensity, and pressure exerted on the material surface. The software simulates the interactions between the laser beam and treated components, enabling visualization of the treated areas and the effects of non-orthogonal beam angles and complex geometries. Built as a plugin for the open-source Blender software, it leverages Blender’s ray tracing capabilities to provide efficient, real-time feedback, making the LSP design process faster and more accurate.

Features

  • User-friendly graphical interface Simplifies the design process for LSP treatment, making it accessible to LSP station operators.

  • Real-time feedback Provides fast results within minutes to assist in quick decision-making during treatment design.

  • Customizable laser spot shapes Supports scalable circular and square laser spot shapes to represent laser beam intensity, plasma-exerted pressure, and part deformation.

  • Simulation of laser beam-material interactions Models the intensity and pressure exerted by the plasma on the material surface, as well as the resulting deformation.

  • Flexible part positioning Allows arbitrary adjustment of the part’s relative position and laser beam orientation during the LSP process.

  • Motion encoding for parts Supports encoding of part movements, including translation, rotation, velocity, and shot frequency along a defined path.

  • Visualization of treated areas Enables visualization of LSP-treated zones without the need for experimental trials, helping to fine-tune treatment designs.

  • Complex geometry handling Accounts for non-orthogonal surface orientations and obstruction issues in geometrically complex parts.

  • Blender plugin integration Developed as a plugin for Blender, utilizing its ray tracing capabilities to simulate laser-beam interactions with treated components.

  • Open-source software The software is based on open-source tools, ensuring flexibility, accessibility, and potential for further development.

Credits

This package was created with Cookiecutter and the audreyr/cookiecutter-pypackage project template.