Surface quality measures analysis and optimization on machining titanium alloy using CO2 based laser beam drilling process

Abstract

• Laser power has the high influent nature on determining the quality measures due its importance of plasma energy. • Higher laser power with lower nozzle distance creates lower Ra owing to tiny craters formation with lower particles adhesion. • The lower laser power and nozzle distance with considerable gas pressure can reduce the taperness. Laser beam assisted machining process is widely utilized to cut high strength engineering materials. It is very important to enhance the process mechanism in such process for improving the surface quality measures. In the present study, an endeavor was made to analyze the effects of process parameters on surface performance measures while machining titanium alloy using Taguchi-Grey relational approach. It has been found that laser power has the high influent nature on determining the quality measures on surface roughness and taper angle in LBM due its importance of plasma energy. Laser power (3 kW), nozzle distance (1.5 mm), focal length (−2 mm) and gas pressure (2 bar) has been chosen as optimal process parameters combination due to its ability of producing lower plasma energy with accuracy of 2.2 %. The higher laser power with lower nozzle distance creates lower surface roughness owing to the formation of tiny craters with lower particles adhesion.