The impact of CO2 laser cutting parameters on the heat affected zone width on both sides of the kerf while cutting acrylic sheets.

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of various parameters on the width of the heat affected zone during the process of cutting acrylic sheets with a pulse CO₂ laser having a maximum power of 160W. The parameters studied include laser power, cutting speed, sheet thickness, focal position, and auxiliary gas pressure. To achieve this objective, the researchers utilized the statistical Taguchi method to design the experiment and analyzed the results using regression analysis.

By analyzing the results, it was found that the auxiliary gas pressure has the most significant impact on the width of the heat-affected zone. As the pressure of the auxiliary gas increases, the width of the heat-affected zone decreases. Similarly, an increase in laser power leads to a decrease in the width of the heat-affected zone until a certain threshold is reached, beyond which the width starts to increase. On the other hand, an increase in cutting speed or sheet thickness leads to an increase in the width of the heat-affected zone until a certain point is reached, after which the width starts to decrease. Lastly, an increase in focal position results in an increase in the width of the heat-affected zone. It was obtained statistical values and charts that demonstrate the relationships between the studied parameters and the observed response.