Striation-free fibre laser cutting of mild steel sheets

High-power laser cutting is extensively used in many industrial applications. An important weakness of this process is the formation of striations, i.e. regular lines on the cut surface, which lowers the quality of the surfaces produced. The elimination of striation formation is thus of considerable importance, since it could open a variety of novel high-precision applications. This study presents the initial results of a laser cutting study using a 1 kW single-mode fibre laser, a relative newcomer in the field of laser metal cutting. Striation-free laser cuts are demonstrated when cutting 1 mm thick mild steel sheets. PACS 42.62.Cf; 81.05.Bx; 81.20.Wk; 42.55.Wd; 89.20.Bb     

Cutting by a high power laser at a long distance without an assist gas for dismantling

As the applications of laser processing progress, new fields of use are being investigated, including dismantling with power lasers. To fulfil our dismantling requirements we propose a new laser method that we have called the laser dismantling (LD) process. This cutting method uses a high-power laser at a long distance, without an assist gas, and with a focal length of the system of 1 m to 10 m. Precision and accuracy in the process are not the same as for laser cutting for production and assembly. The first application of the laser dismantling process, on which we demonstrate our method, is the dismantling of obsolete nuclear plants with remote controlled, or automatic, robots in irradiated environments. For our demonstrator, the beam from a Nd:YAG laser was focused by a multimode optical fibre. The objectives of this paper are: to discuss the criteria for determining the theoretical feasibility of LD; to discuss issues related to future industrial implementation by introducing the process's basic principles; and to compare LD with classical laser processing, which differs not only in the consideration of cutting quality and speed, but also in the cutting irregularities that could be accepted.     

Modelling and optimization of cut quality during pulsed Nd:YAG laser cutting of thin Al-alloy sheet for straight profile

Thin sheets of aluminium alloys are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries for specific applications. Nd:YAG laser beam cutting is one of the most promising sheetmetal cutting process for cutting sheets for any profile. Al-alloy sheets are difficult to cut by laser beam because of its highly reflective nature. This paper presents modelling and optimization of cut quality during pulsed Nd:YAG laser cutting of thin Al-alloy sheet for straight profile. In the present study, four input process parameters such as oxygen pressure, pulse width, pulse frequency, and cutting speed and two output parameters such as average kerf taper (T_a) and average surface roughness (R_a) are considered. The hybrid approach comprising of Taguchi methodology (TM) and response surface methodology (RSM) is used for modelling whereas multi-objective optimization is performed using hybrid approach of TM and grey relational analysis (GRA) coupled with entropy measurement methodology. The entropy measurement methodology is employed for the calculation of weight corresponding to each quality characteristic. The results indicate that the hybrid approaches applied for modelling and optimization of the LBC process are reasonable.     

Wedge cutting of mild steel by CO2 laser and cut-quality assessment in relation to normal cutting

In some applications, laser cutting of wedge surfaces cannot be avoided in sheet metal processing and the quality of the end product defines the applicability of the laser-cutting process in such situations. In the present study, CO₂ laser cutting of the wedge surfaces as well as normal surfaces (normal to laser beam axis) is considered and the end product quality is assessed using the international standards for thermal cutting. The cut surfaces are examined by the optical microscopy and geometric features of the cut edges such as out of flatness and dross height are measured from the micrographs. A neural network is introduced to classify the striation patterns of the cut surfaces. It is found that the dross height and out of flatness are influenced significantly by the laser output power, particularly for wedge-cutting situation. Moreover, the cut quality improves at certain value of the laser power intensity.     

Cutting of nonmetallic materials using Nd:YAG laser beam

This study deals with Nd:YAG laser cutting nonmetallic materials, which is one of the most important and popular industrial applications of laser. The main theme is to evaluate the effects of Nd:YAG laser beam power besides work piece scanning speed. For approximate cutting depth, a theoretical study is conducted in terms of material property and cutting speed. Results show a nonlinear relation between the cutting depth and input energy. There is no significant effect of speed on cutting depth with the speed being larger than 30 mm/s. An extra energy is utilized in the deep cutting. It is inferred that as the laser power increases, cutting depth increases. The experimental outcomes are in good agreement with theoretical results. This analysis will provide a guideline for laser-based industry to select a suitable laser for cutting, scribing, trimming, engraving, and marking nonmetallic materials.     

Use of the grey relational analysis to determine optimum laser cutting parameters with multi-performance characteristics

This paper presents an effective approach for the optimization of laser cutting process of St-37 steel with multiple performance characteristics based on the grey relational analysis. Sixteen experimental runs based on the Taguchi method of orthogonal arrays were performed to determine the best factor level condition. The response table and response graph for each level of the machining parameters were obtained from the grey relational grade. In this study, the laser cutting parameters such as laser power and cutting speed are optimized with consideration of multiple-performance characteristics, such as workpiece surface roughness, top kerf width and width of heat affected zone (HAZ). By analyzing the grey relational grade, it is observed that the laser power has more effect on responses rather than cutting speed. It is clearly shown that the above performance characteristics in laser cutting process can be improved effectively through this approach.     

Selection of the most influential factors on the water-jet assisted underwater laser process by adaptive neuro-fuzzy technique

Water-jet assisted underwater laser cutting has shown some advantages as it produces much less turbulence, gas bubble and aerosols, resulting in a more gentle process. However, this process has relatively low efficiency due to different losses in water. It is important to determine which parameters are the most important for the process. In this investigation was analyzed the water-jet assisted underwater laser cutting parameters forecasting based on the different parameters. The method of ANFIS (adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system) was applied to the data in order to select the most influential factors for water-jet assisted underwater laser cutting parameters forecasting. Three inputs are considered: laser power, cutting speed and water-jet speed. The ANFIS process for variable selection was also implemented in order to detect the predominant factors affecting the forecasting of the water-jet assisted underwater laser cutting parameters. According to the results the combination of laser power cutting speed forms the most influential combination foe the prediction of water-jet assisted underwater laser cutting parameters. The best prediction was observed for the bottom kerf-width (R² = 0.9653). The worst prediction was observed for dross area per unit length (R² = 0.6804). According to the results, a greater improvement in estimation accuracy can be achieved by removing the unnecessary parameter.     

Lumped parameter model for multimode laser cutting

A lumped parameter mathematical model is developed to relate the cut depth to the laser cutting parameters and material properties. The model takes into account the threshold power of the incident laser beam for the initiation of cutting and modifies an earlier cutting model so that it applies to a wide set of process parameters ranging from low to high laser powers and slow to fast cutting speeds. Plain steel is taken as an example to show the effects of various process parameters such as the laser power, spot size and cutting speed on the cut depth. Special emphasis is given to the effect of laser mode structure on its cutting capability.     

355 nm DPSS UV laser cutting of FR4 and BT/epoxy-based PCB substrates

The 355 nm DPSS UV laser cutting of electronics printed circuit board (PCB) substrates including FR4, and BT/epoxy-based PCB substrates was investigated. The effects of various laser conditions such as scanning speed, assisting gas, repetition rate, and interval between scans on the heat affected zone (HAZ) and charring were studied. The quality and morphology of laser cut PCB substrates were evaluated with optical microscope, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that multi-pass cutting at high scanning speed can achieve high quality cutting with little charring. It was also found that with O₂ assist gas, a certain amount of interval time between scans and higher repetition rate led to less HAZ and less charring. High quality laser cutting of PCB substrates with no delamination, very little charring and minimum HAZ was demonstrated. The developed process has important potential applications in the electronics industry.     

Laser technology in industry

Lasers are providing effective solutions to many real problems in industry and technology. In this paper, we discuss the technical aspects of laser industrial applications to welding, hardening, alloying, cutting, drilling, turning, glazing etc. Details of laser applications and the involved technologies of non-destructive laser contactless diagnotics quality control of materials and industrial goods, laser monitoring and laser applications to measurement devices are also presented briefly. Most of the discussion is in reference to the developments in USSR.     

Excimer laser decoating of chromium titanium aluminium nitride to facilitate re-use of cutting tools

This work reports on the technical feasibility and establishment of a process window for removing chromium titanium aluminium nitride (CrTiAlN) coating from steel substrates by laser irradiation. CrTiAlN coating has high hardness and oxidation resistance, with applications for use with cutting tools. The motivation for removing such coatings is to facilitate re-use of tooling by enabling regrinding or reshaping of a worn tool and hence promote sustainable material usage. In this work, laser decoating was performed using an excimer laser. The effect of laser fluence, number of pulses, frequency, scanning speed and laser beam overlap on the decoating performance was investigated in detail. The minimum threshold laser fluence for removing the CrTiAlN coating was lower than that of the steel substrate and this factor is beneficial in controlling the decoating process. Successful laser removal of CrTiAlN coating without noticeable damage to the steel substrate was demonstrated.     

Investigating the CO2 laser cutting parameters of MDF wood composite material

Laser cutting of medium density fibreboard (MDF) is a complicated process and the selection of the process parameters combinations is essential to get the highest quality cut section. This paper presents a means for selecting the process parameters for laser cutting of MDF based on the design of experiments (DOE) approach. A CO₂ laser was used to cut three thicknesses, 4, 6 and 9 mm, of MDF panels. The process factors investigated are: laser power, cutting speed, air pressure and focal point position. In this work, cutting quality was evaluated by measuring the upper kerf width, the lower kerf width, the ratio between the upper kerf width to the lower kerf width, the cut section roughness and the operating cost. The effect of each factor on the quality measures was determined. The optimal cutting combinations were presented in favours of high quality process output and in favours of low cutting cost.     

A knowledge-based adaptive control environment for an industrial laser cutting system

A hierarchically structured environment that integrates a knowledge- based expert system, adaptive process control and pattern recognition techniques for controlling a laser cutting process is described. Knowledge of the laser cutting process for different materials is organised and encoded into a rule-based system. An adaptive control algorithm based on on-line recursive parameter estimation and on-line control law synthesis was adopted for the highly non-linear cutting process control. Cutting speed was selected as the major control variable. Irradiance emitted from the cut front is used for the feedback signal to this adaptive controller. The irradiance signal feeds the recursive parameter estimator for system identification. Techniques of pattern recognition, which have been well developed in coherent optics, were applied to assess cut quality by characterising the exit spark cone images of the gas assisted laser cutting process. Images from the cutting processes were grabbed, edge enhanced and correlated with a synthetic discriminant function filter which was synthesised from reference images to give good cut quality. Results from digital simulations based on these pattern recognition algorithms are also presented.     

The effect of moisture content in fibre laser cutting of pine wood

This paper reports a statistical analysis of the multiple-pass laser cutting of wet and dry pine wood with a Ytterbium fibre laser. As multiple factors affect the laser wood cutting process, finding the optimal combination of process parameters is necessary to achieve good quality and high process efficiency. Design of experiments (DOE) and statistical modelling were used in this study to investigate the significant process parameters and their interactions. A high brightness, 1 kW IPG single mode, continuous wave Ytterbium doped fibre laser was employed to cut wet and dry pine wood samples. The parameters investigated are laser power, traverse speed, focal plane position (f.p.p.), gas pressure, number of passes, direction of cut (normal or parallel to wood's tracheids) and the moisture content. The experimental results were compared against process responses defining the efficiency (i.e. kerf depth and energy consumption) and quality of the cut section (i.e. kerf width, heat affected zone—HAZ, edge surface roughness and perpendicularity). It has been found that the laser cutting process was mainly affected by the moisture content and the cut direction with respect to the wood's tracheids, followed by traverse speed, laser power and the number of passes. The effect of moisture content on energy consumption in the laser cutting process of both wet and dry wood is analysed. The wood cutting results with fibre laser are compared with those from a CO₂ laser.     

激光在汽车工业中的发展现状与应用

介绍了近年来激光技术在汽车工业中的几项重要应用，详述了激光在诸如激光焊接、激光打标、激光热处理和激光切割等有关汽车工业技术中的应用状况，同时对汽车工业中所用激光类型进行了归类。最后综述了半导体激光器泵浦全固态激光器以及短脉冲和超短脉冲激光的应用前景。     

Tuning of a parametric model for the laser cutting of steels

In this work the mathematical models developed to describe the gas jet laser cutting process are examined.

Some experimental results for the laser cutting of carbon and stainless steels are also shown. These results are then used to ‘tune’ the theoretical models in order to obtain a method for making predictions about the parameters of interest in the laser cutting of steels.     

Direct removal of SU-8 using focused laser writing

SU-8 photoresist is an important material used in the development of micro-devices [1]. Cross-linked SU-8 structures have been known for their thermal stability and their strong resistance to standard solvent, acid and base. Due to the inert properties of this polymer, it is difficult to further modify or remove SU-8 once it is completely cured. We report an effective process to pattern cured SU-8 photoresist on glass using focused laser beam. Laser fabrication has been an important tool in various fields of research [2]. We made use of this laser cutting method to create interesting and useful two-dimensional SU-8 structures. The shapes and sizes of the structures created can be controlled by varying the power of the laser, angle of incident of the focused laser beam, the relative speed with which the laser beam traverse through the SU-8 film and the magnification of objective lens used. Besides two-dimensional structures, we can also create three-dimensional structures. In this case, we made use of a combination of controlled depth cutting and undercutting where focused laser beam is transmitted through the transparent substrate. Some possible applications of the laser patterned SU-8 film are also demonstrated in this work. PACS 42.62-b; 42.82.Cr; 79.60.Fr; 79.20.Ds; 78.66.-w     

Estimation of the most influential factors on the laser cutting process heat affected zone (HAZ) by adaptive neuro-fuzzy technique

Heat affected zone (HAZ) of the laser cutting process may be developed on the basis on combination of different factors. In this investigation was analyzed the HAZ forecasting based on the different laser cutting parameters. The main aim in this article was to analyze the influence of three inputs on the HAZ of the laser cutting process. The method of ANFIS (adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system) was applied to the data in order to select the most influential factors for HAZ forecasting. Three inputs are considered: laser power, cutting speed and gas pressure. According the results the cutting speed has the highest influence on the HAZ forecasting (RMSE: 0.0553). Gas pressure has the smallest influence on the HAZ forecasting (RMSE: 0.0801). The results can be used in order to simplify HAZ prediction and analyzing.     

The effect of material thickness,laser power and cutting speed on cut path deviation in high-power diode laser chip-free cutting of glass

In the laser cleaving of brittle materials, using controlled fracture technique, thermal stresses are used to induce the crack and the material is separated along the cutting path by extending the crack. One of the problems in laser cutting of glass with this technique is the cut path deviation at the leading and the trailing edges of the glass sheet. Previous work has shown this deviation to be partly due to the high magnitudes of thermal stresses generated near the edges of the sheet. This paper reports on the experimental results of the effects of glass thickness, laser power and the cutting speed on cut path deviation in diode laser cutting of glass. Finite element modelling of the cutting process has also been used to simulate the transient effects of the moving beam and predict thermal fields and stress distributions. These predictions are validated against the experimental data and are used to explain the process mechanisms. It is shown that an increase in the thickness of the glass sheet for the same power and cutting speed or an increase in the cutting speed with constant power and a given sheet thickness results in smaller cut path deviations at the leading and trailing edges of the glass sheet.     

激光切割脆性材料的温度场模拟

激光切割脆性材料是一个复杂的光致热过程。在综合考虑材料的热物性参数、初始条件及边界条件的情况下,运用Ansys软件建立了激光切割脆性材料温度场的三维有限元模型。采用APDL语言实现了对热流密度的高斯分布和强制对流换热及移动激光热源的模拟。通过设置不同的激光切割参数,对温度场的变化进行了模拟分析。所建立的温度场模拟系统可以对实际激光切割脆性材料的热过程进行前期预测,并能对激光切割参数的选择进行一定的优化,以减少实际切割的盲目性。