Abstract
The thermal effect of CO2high-power laser cutting on cut surface of steel plates is investigated. The effect of the input laser cutting parameters on the melted zone depth (MZ), the heat affected zone depth (HAZ), and the microhardness beneath the cut surface is analyzed. A mathematical model is developed to relate the output process parameters to the input laser cutting parameters. Three input process parameters such as laser beam diameter, cutting speed, and laser power are investigated. Mathematical models for the melted zone and the heat affected zone depth are developed by using design of experiment approach (DOE). The results indicate that the input laser cutting parameters have major effect on melted zone, heat affected zone, and microhardness beneath cut surface. The MZ depth, the HAZ depth, and the microhardness beneath cut surface increase as laser power increases, but they decrease with increasing cutting speed. Laser beam diameter has a negligible effect on HAZ depth but it has a remarkable effect on MZ depth and HAZ microhardness. The melted zone depth and the heat affected zone depth can be reduced by increasing laser cutting speed and decreasing laser power and laser beam diameter.
Highlights
Laser cutting process is used extensively in industries to achieve complex shapes with close tolerances
The productivity and the quality are essentially related to the selection of the suitable parameters of laser cutting such as laser power, laser beam diameter, and cutting speed [2,3,4]
The heat generated by the laser cutting process and after cooling causes this change in the region near the cut surface
Summary
Laser cutting process is used extensively in industries to achieve complex shapes with close tolerances. Several studies were performed to examine the effect of the input laser cutting parameters on the quality of the cut surface and the heat affected zone. An experimental investigation of laser cutting of polymeric materials was done by Choudhury and Shirley [6] They have concluded that the heat affected zone depth is proportional to laser power and inversely proportional to compressed air pressure and cutting speed. An experimental investigation of the laser cutting parameters for ceramic composite was done by Quintero et al [12] They have indicated the influence of cutting speed, frequency, and assist gas pressure on heat affected zone. Laser power, cutting speed, and laser beam diameter were varied in order to analyze the effect of these input laser cutting parameters on heat affected zone depth and on microhardness beneath the cut surface. Design of experiment approach has been used in order to predict the relationship between the process parameters and heat affected zone depth
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