Relation between Cutting Surface Quality and Alloying Element Contents when Using a CO2 Laser

Abstract

This paper deals with the influence of material content on changes in the quality parameters of the cutting surface when cutting with a laser. The study focuses on experiments to find the effect of material structure and cutting parameters on surface roughness, Vickers microhardness and precision of laser cutting. The experimental results are shown in graphs which illustrate the suitability of materials for achieving required cutting surface quality parameters. These results can be used for optimizing production in practical applications using a laser cutting machine.

Keywords

• laser cutting
• alloyed steel
• unalloyed steel
• surface quality
• cutting parameters