Investigating the Effect of Different Axial Oscillation Patterns on Laser Fusion Cutting Process

Latest research on laser cutting has revealed significant improvements in process productivity and cut quality through the applications of dynamic beam shaping techniques. The present work aims to study the effect of axial beam oscillations (along Z-axis) on laser fusion cutting process through analytical modelling and experimental investigations. While existing literature has primarily focused on dynamic beam shaping employing harmonic oscillations, this study explores the impact of various oscillation waveforms, including sinusoidal, triangular, square, ramp-up, and ramp-down patterns. Initially, an analytical model was developed to evaluate the laser intensity distribution within the process zone for different oscillation patterns. Furthermore, the effect of axial oscillations, superimposed on the cutting direction, was experimentally investigated using 20 mm thick AISI304 stainless steel. Experimental results demonstrate notable improvements in process performance through axial oscillation, either by reducing burr defects at the same processing speed or by increasing productivity while maintaining equivalent part quality.