Product Code: ICAL05_203

Application a High Brightness Yb Fibre Laser In High Speed Cutting of C-Mn Sheet Steel
Authors:
M. Sparkes, Univ. of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
William O'Neill, Univ. of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
Presented at ICALEO 2005

Previous work using high quality CO2 lasers have shown high levels of performance when cutting thin section steels in the range 0.5-1.0mm. However, the use of the CO2 lasers is compromised as a result of the reduced operating window produced by the need for short-focal length lenses and the deleterious development of intense plasma in the cutting zone. It is thought that the application of a high power Yb fibre laser could offer substantial physical benefits such as large depth of fields, resistance to plasma formation and higher absorption. Work presented here explores the cutting performance for 1mm thick C-Mn steel using a 1kW high brightness laser. The effects of process parameters on cutting performance and cutting morphology are presented.