Effect of laser beam velocity on cut quality and surface temperature
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abstract
The effect of laser beam velocity on cut quality and the surface temperature during a laser cutting process was studied experimentally. Experiments performed on samples of AISI-SAE 1018 steel at different cutting speeds resulted in nonuniform cuts, where the degree of nonuniformity was dependent on the magnitude of the cutting speed. An increasing beam velocity resulted in a narrowing of the kerf, which is a desirable result. In addition to the variation of cut quality at different speeds, variations with position also existed for any given speed. For example, edge effects at the leading and trailing edges were not identical, and the kerf width on the upper surface was wider than the kerf width on the lower surface. Since the cut quality is controlled by heat transfer processes, such as heat diffusion rates and melt or solidification rates, surface temperatures adjacent to the cut were also monitored. Surface temperatures were higher on the lower surfaces than on the upper surface, and temperatures decreased with increasing velocity for the upper and lower surfaces. In addition, the surface temperatures showed dependence on the oxidation heat affected zone (HAZ) and the kerf width.
