Optimization of two-beam laser cleavage of silicate glass

Abstract

Subject of study. The values of technological parameters ensuring the effective two-beam laser cleavage of silicate glasses are determined in this study based on numerical modeling. Method. Multi-objective optimization of two-beam laser cleavage of glass plates is performed using the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) implemented in the DesignXplorer module of Ansys Workbench software. Main results. The temperatures and thermoelastic stresses are calculated using the finite element method in a quasistatic setting within the uncoupled thermoelasticity problem using the Ansys Parametric Design Language. A regression model of two-beam laser cutting of glass is obtained using a face-centered variant of the central composite design of the experiment. The machining speed, the power of a laser with a wavelength of 10.6 µm, the radius of the radiation spot of the beam with a wavelength of 10.6 µm, the power of a laser with a wavelength of 1.06 µm, and the radius of the radiation spot of the beam with a wavelength of 1.06 µm are used as the variable factors. The maximum temperatures and tensile stress values in the laser machining area are used as the responses. The regression model is tested on a test dataset. The obtained results indicate that the regression model is consistent with the finite element analysis data. The effect of the technological parameters of machining on the maximum values of temperature and tensile stress in the laser machining area is evaluated. We establish that the machining speed and the parameters of the laser beam with a wavelength of 10.6 µm have the biggest effect on the maximum temperatures, whereas all the variable factors have a significant effect on the maximum values of tensile stress. Two-beam laser cleavage of glass is optimized for two variants of the problem setting: either using the criterion of the maximum tensile stress or the criteria of the maximum tensile stress and machining speed. The parameters obtained after optimization and through finite element modeling were compared. The maximum relative error of the results obtained using the MOGA do not exceed 5% for the determination of maximum temperatures and 9% for the determination of the maximum values of thermoelastic stress in the area of the laser machining. Practical significance. The machining parameters that ensure significant increase in the productivity and reliability of two-beam laser cutting when applied in practice are determined using modeling.