AN INVESTIGATION INTO CHARACTERIZING AND OPTIMIZING LASER CUTTING QUALITY - A REVIEW

The quality of a laser-made cut is of the utmost importance in laser p rocessing. Any improvements in this area would be of considerable sign ificance, in that it would lead to an elimination of post-machining op erations. As laser systems are becoming progressively more unmanned, t he need for improvements in the fields of monitoring, diagnosis, regul ation and modelling becomes essential for achieving and maintaining hi gh quality cutting. Although there have been numerous techniques devel oped over the years, currently there are few appropriate strategies im plemented in industry for improving laser cutting quality, partially d ue to the fact that laser cutting is a highly complex thermal process. The mechanisms governing the laser cutting process are not fully unde rstood. It is the aim of the author therefore to critically investigat e and review the current status of laser cutting and associated qualit y improvement techniques, including research efforts undertaken in the fields of modelling, regulation, diagnosis and monitoring. Present tr ends and future directions are then presented.