An automatable algorithm for measurement of fluid flow during laser fusion cutting using in‐situ trim cut analysis

Abstract

AbstractIrregularities inside the fluid flow in laser fusion cutting of sheet metals cause quality defects like large striation depths or adhered dross. Trim‐cut analysis is used to measure the flow velocities of the molten material by high speed imaging. The so‐called streak analysis creates a repetitive pattern for multiple melt waves and the angle of these patterns is assignable to specific flow velocities. In this article, a discrete fourier transform is used to automatically determine the spatial distribution of flow velocities. The results show that identifying the velocity domains and assigning them to the parameters of the cutting process and quality characteristics is a promising approach to enhance the understanding and to achieve higher quality cuts.