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