Product Code: ICAL07_1401

Visualization of Events Inside Kerfs during Laser Cutting of Fusible Metal
Authors:
Peter Yudin, ITAM SBRAS; Novosibirsk Russia
Oleg Kovalev, ITAM SBRAS; Novosibirsk Russia
Presented at ICALEO 2007

The subject of the research is mechanism of melt removal and striated roughness generation. Being main obstacle limiting laser cutting process performance, these phenomena are widely discussed. Available theoretical descriptions produce no proof, as it has nothing to be verified with. High temperatures and narrowness of the kerf severely limit visual access at real facility. Observation will become possible if one wall of the kerf can be made of glass. This possibility is utilized in present experiments which reproduce the process at low temperatures. Roses alloy (Tmelt 96oC) is cut by reduced power (below 300 W) laser beam and high-speed photographic recordings are made. Analysis of video data brought out innovative views on the melt removal. Cutting front was noted to be upright. Striation structure was observed to be generated at a certain distance from the cutting front and without laser radiation assistance. Adequacy of the model experiment to the real case was confirmed.