Evalaution and optimization of laser cutting parameters for plywood materials

Laser process parameters influence greatly the width of kerfs and quality of the cut edges. This article reports experiments on the laser plywood-cutting performance of a CW 1.5 kW CO2¬ Rofin laser, based on design of experiments (DOE). The laser was used to cut three thicknesses 3, 6 and 9 mm of plywood panels. The process factors investigated are: laser power, cutting speed, air pressure and focal point position. The aim of this work is to relate the cutting edge quality parameters namely: upper kerf (UK), lower kerf (LK), the ratio between upper to lower kerfs and the operating cost to the process parameters mentioned above. Mathematical models were developed to establish the relationship between the process parameters and the edge quality parameters, and special graphs were drawn for this purpose. Finally, a numerical optimization was performed to find out the optimal process setting at which both kerfs would lead to a ratio of about 1, and at which low cutting cost take place

Effect of CO2 laser cutting process parameters on edge quality and operating cost of AISI316L

Laser cutting is a popular manufacturing process utilized to cut various types of materials economically. The width of laser cut or kerf, quality of the cut edges and the operating cost are affected by laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure, nozzle diameter and focus point position as well as the work-piece material. In this paper CO2 laser cutting of stainless steel of medical grade AISI316L has been investigated. Design of experiment (DOE) was implemented by applying Box-Behnken design to develop the experiment lay-out. The aim of this work is to relate the cutting edge quality parameters namely: upper kerf, lower kerf, the ratio between them, cut section roughness and operating cost to the process parameters mentioned above. Then, an overall optimization routine was applied to find out the optimal cutting setting that would enhance the quality or minimize the operating cost. Mathematical models were developed to determine the relationship between the process parameters and the edge quality features. Also, process parameters effects on the quality features have been defined. Finally, the optimal laser cutting conditions have been found at which the highest quality or minimum cost can be achieved

Characterization and finite element analysis for soft magnetic materials used in automotive applications

This project aims to develop and optimize soft magnetic materials for use in solenoids for automotive components such as: electric injectors, electric valves, electric pumps... etc. The work seeks to produce soft magnetic materials with higher magnetic permeability to produce higher magnetic forces in solenoids. Powder metallurgy was used to produce the magnetic solenoid parts with a wide array o f possible material combinations. Different mixtures o f Fe-Si, Fe-Co and Fe-Si-Co were developed. A cold-isostatic compacting technique was used with a pressure of 180 MPa. Then the samples were sintered twice at a temperature o f 1315 °C for 45 min after compacting, and after the final machining. Density, compression, hardness and microstructure were investigated for all samples before and after the second sintering. The results showed that the mechanical properties and the microstructure were improved after the second sintering. The magnetic density and intensity (B-H) was determined for each material. A sample o f each new material was sent to an American Lab. Finite element simulations were carried out using commercial software (ANSYS) to simulate the magnetic field o f a common rail electro-injector solenoid. The maximum magnetic force was determined for each developed material. Different models were built-up by varying the magnetic material properties and the working parameters such as the coil turn - current for a fixed gap between the armature and the back iron

Optimisation of process parameters of high power CO2 Laser cutting for advanced materials

Nowadays, advanced materials such as composite materials, thermoplastics, fibre glass etc. are replacing other materials in many different industrial applications. This is due to the improvements achieved in their engineering properties. The demand on these advanced engineering materials necessitates the development of advanced material processing techniques. Laser beam cutting (LBC) is an advanced processing technique applied widely in industry to cut different materials with high production rates. In order to optimise the LBC process, it is essential to first model the process accurately. In fact, an optimised cutting procedure is crucial to insure the high quality of the products. This procedure should contain the values, or ranges of values, for process parameters that produce cuts with the quality levels required by the end user. Accordingly, the aim of the current research is to apply response surface methodology (RSM) via Design-expert software to develop empirically based mathematical models that relate the process input parameters to the quality features (responses). Once these mathematical models have been developed and checked for their adequacy they can be used to optimise the process, and thus, achieve the desired quality levels. The LBC input parameters considered herein are: laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure, focal point position, nozzle diameter and stand-off distance. The quality features investigated are: upper kerf width, lower kerf width, ratio between two kerfs, heat affected zone (HAZ), roughness of the cut section and operating cost. Materials, commonly used in industry, in sheet form with different thicknesses, have been investigated namely: medical grade austenitic stainless steel AISI316L, medium density fibre board (MDF), Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP). A CW 1.5 kW CO2 Rofin laser is used to perform the cutting operations. Different models were successfully developed to predict the responses for each material and thickness including operating cost. Moreover, the main effects and interaction effects of the process parameters on the responses were determined, discussed and illustrated graphically. In addition, the process has been optimised and the optimal cutting conditions have been recorded for each material and thickness. These records could be used as a standard procedure for LBC because they provide the relevant parameters and allowable ranges that should be used for optimal laser cutting for each material and thickness

Effect of process parameters and optimization of CO2 laser cutting of ultra high performance polyethylene

The aim of this work is to relate the cutting edge quality parameters (responses) namely: upper kerf, lower kerf, ratio of the upper kerf to lower kerf and cut edge roughness to the process parameters considered in this research and to find out the optimal cutting conditions. The process factors implemented in this research are: laser power, cutting speed and focal point position. Design of experiment (DoE) was used by implementing Box-Behnken design to achieve better cut qualities within existing resources. Mathematical models were developed to establish the relationship between the process parameters and the edge quality parameters. Also, the effects of process parameters on each response were determine. Then, a numerical optimization was performed to find out the optimal process setting at which the quality features are at their desired values. The effect of each factor on the responses was established and the optimal cutting conditions were found

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 of the cut section. This paper presents laser cutting of MDF based on design of experiments (DOE). 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, upper kerf width, lower kerf width, ratio between the upper kerf width to the lower kerf width, cut section roughness and the operating cost. The effect of each factor on the quality measures was determined and special graphs were drawn for this purpose. The optimal cutting combinations were presented in favours of high quality process output and in favours of low cutting cost