See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/230992003

Theoretical aspects of fibre laser cutting

Article  in  Journal of Physics D Applied Physics · August 2009

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/42/17/175507

CITATIONS READS

114 3,435

2 authors, including:

Achim Mahrle
Fraunhofer IWS Dresden
89 PUBLICATIONS   870 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Dynamic Beam Shaping View project

Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Achim Mahrle on 29 May 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

IOP PUBLISHING JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D: APPLIED PHYSICS
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507 (9pp) doi:10.1088/0022-3727/42/17/175507

Theoretical aspects of fibre laser cutting

A Mahrle1 and E Beyer1,2
1
University of Technology Dresden, Institute for Surface and Manufacturing Technology, PO Box,
01062 Dresden, Germany
2
Fraunhofer Institute IWS, Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden, Germany
E-mail: achim.mahrle@iws.fraunhofer.de

Received 16 April 2009, in final form 22 July 2009

Published 17 August 2009
Online at stacks.iop.org/JPhysD/42/175507

Abstract
Fibre lasers offer distinct advantages over established laser systems with respect to power
efficiency, beam guidance and beam quality. Consequently, the potential of these new laser
beam sources will be increasingly exploited for laser cutting applications that are
conventionally carried out with CO2 lasers. However, theoretical estimates of the effective
absorptivity at the cut front suggest that the shorter wavelength of the fibre laser in
combination with its high focusability seems to be primarily advantageous for thin sheet metal
cutting whereas the CO2 laser is probably still capable of cutting thicker materials more
efficiently. This surprising result is a consequence of the absorptivity behaviour of metals that
shows essential quantitative differences for the corresponding wavelengths of both laser
sources as a function of the angle of incidence between the laser beam and the material to be
cut. In evaluation of the revealed dependences, solution strategies for an improvement of the
efficiency of fibre laser cutting of thicker metal sheets are suggested.
(Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

1. Introduction see figure 1. Adequate modelling of such a process has to take

Laser beam cutting is a well-established and effective method
of cutting a wide range of materials. Known variants of the
laser cutting technology involve (I) inert-gas fusion cutting,
(II) reactive-gas fusion cutting and (III) vaporization cutting
[1]. The preferred procedure to cut stainless steel and other
high-alloyed steels as well as aluminium and titanium alloys
is the inert-gas fusion cutting process [2]. It is based on
the combined use of a high-intensity laser beam and a high-
pressure inert-gas jet (nitrogen or argon), which both act
simultaneously in a coaxial arrangement on the workpiece
being cut. The cutting procedure itself in the direct interaction
zone of laser beam, gas jet and material can be approximated to
a steady-state process provided that the cutting speed vC , i.e.
the relative velocity between laser beam and material along
the desired cut contour, the laser power PL as well as the
sheet thickness tC are constant. In this case, the process
is characterized by the formation of an inclined cut front
throughout the depth of the sheet at the end of the generated
cut kerf. The material on the surface of this cut front is
continuously melted by the incident laser radiation, and then
blown out of the cut kerf region by the high-pressure gas jet,
several physical phenomena into account, among others, the
beam absorption characteristics as a function of the wavelength
and polarization state, the fluid dynamics of the gas and the
melt flow as well as the interactions between all the factors
which influence the achievable cut rates and the resultant cut
edge quality (e.g. [3–11]).
In contrast to comprehensive and sophisticated modelling
approaches, a purely thermodynamic analysis, as used as
follows to explain experimentally observed differences in the
performance capability of CO2 and fibre laser cutting, can be
employed to evaluate technical processes from an energetic
point of view only. The governing equations of the analysis
are the first law of thermodynamics and the energetic equation
of state of incompressible matter. In the case of laser beam
cutting, the energy requirements EFC of the fusion cutting
process are proportional to the volume VK of the generated
cut kerf with the dimensions wK , tC and lK as the width, the
thickness and the total length of the kerf. The power PFC
needed to melt this volume per unit time t can be calculated
using the well-known thermodynamic relationship
EFC
PFC = = ρ · wK · tC · vC · hm , (1)
t

0022-3727/09/175507+09$30.00 1 © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507 A Mahrle and E Beyer

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the inert-gas laser beam fusion cutting process and resultant cut kerf geometry.

where ρ and hm are the density and the necessary increase in
the specific enthalpy to cause melting of the material to be cut.
It is clear from equation (1) that the power requirement
PFC depends on the kerf width wK , which is in turn a function
of several laser beam and cutting parameters. The objective of
efficiently conducted cutting trials should be a minimization
of the kerf width in order to keep material losses as well
as the energy requirements small. A lower limit of the cut
kerf is approximately given by the diameter d0 = 2 r0 of the
beam if the depth of focus is lying in the range of the sheet
thickness being cut. Assuming initially an ideal process in
which the available laser power PL is completely transformed
into internal energy of the material removed from the cut kerf,
the theoretically achievable maximum cutting speeds vC can
be estimated from the relationship
Figure 2. Theoretically achievable cutting speeds versus the
PL material thickness for an ‘ideal’ cutting process with wK = 2 r0 and
vC = . (2)
tC · 2 r0 · ρ · hm ηFC = ηth = ηET = 1.
Calculated values of theoretical cutting speeds versus the sheet
thickness are shown in figure 2 for steel with ρ = 7800 kg m−3 , When laser radiation impinges upon a metallic surface,
hm = 1174 kJ kg−1 and PL = 1000 W. The cutting speeds only the part PL,T penetrates into the bulk material whereas the
of real cutting trials must be smaller than the theoretically other part PL,R is reflected. The transmitted part PL,T is mainly
calculated speeds because the laser power PL is only partially absorbed within a very thin surface layer with the thickness
absorbed and some of this absorbed part can be lost for the λL
cutting process due to heat conduction into the surrounding lA = , (4)
4π · k
base material. The thermodynamic efficiency ηFC of a real
fusion cutting process can be determined by relating the where λL denotes the wavelength of the laser radiation and k the
theoretical power value PFC to the actually applied laser power extinction coefficient of the irradiated material [12]. Typical
PL that is necessary to cut with the speed vC through the values of the absorption depth lA in metals are considerably
material with the thickness tC : smaller than the wavelength λL of the laser radiation because
k > 1. Therefore, the transmitted part PL,T of the incident
PFC PFC PL,abs laser radiation can be regarded as immediately absorbed on the
ηFC = = · = ηth · ηET . (3)
PL PL,Abs PL surface. As a result, the energy transfer efficiency ηET as well
In this relation, ηET denotes the energy or power transfer as the overall process efficiency ηFC of a fusion cutting process
efficiency being the ratio of absorbed laser power PL,abs to are determined mainly by the absorptivity of the material being
incident laser power PL and ηth the thermal efficiency as the cut. The dominant role of the absorptivity is, among others,
ratio of the theoretically needed power PFC to the absorbed evidenced by the strong influence of the beam polarization on
power PL,abs . Assuming that the molten material is removed the cutting performance [13–15]. Assuming constant average
from the cut kerf just after melting and before significant values of the absorptivity AAve and the reflectivity RAve on the
heat conduction in the surrounding material occurs then the surface of the inclined cutting front, it is
thermal efficiency becomes approximately ηth ≈ 1. In that ηFC ≈ ηET ≡ AAve = 1 − RAve . (5)
case, the overall efficiency ηFC of a laser beam fusion cutting
process is determined mainly by the achievable energy transfer Consequently, the process efficiency ηFC of laser beam fusion
efficiency ηET . cutting strongly depends on the absorptivity AAve , which is

2
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507 A Mahrle and E Beyer

in turn a function of the laser wavelength. Conventionally, The plasma frequency ωP is proportional to the square root
laser fusion cutting processes are performed with CO2 lasers of the free electron density ne and can be calculated with the
and a laser wavelength of λCO2 = 10.6 µm [16]. It is relation
anticipated that the nowadays available high-power fibre lasers
2 1/2 
with a wavelength of λYb = 1.07 µm possess considerable e · ne (T )
ωP = = C · ne (T ). (12)
potential to change the limits for cutting performance because ε0 · m e
of their better focusability and an expected better absorptivity
The constant C combines the physical constants electron
behaviour of metals to the fibre laser radiation with the shorter
charge e = 1.602 19 × 10−19 C, vacuum permittivity ε0 =
wavelength. However, the achievable performance advantages
8.854 19 × 10−12 A s V−1 m−1 and electron mass me =
seem to be restricted to thin and medium section steels [17–21].
0.910 95 × 10−30 kg. A relation for an estimate of the free
Consequently, it is highly desirable to compare both laser
electron density ne is provided by the Drude theory of metals
systems with respect to the achievable efficiency in cutting
[24]. It is
applications. Z · ρ(T )
ne (T ) = NA · . (13)
AA
2. Absorption of laser energy on metallic surfaces
In this equation, NA = 0.6022 × 1024 mol−1 is the Avogadro
The reflectivity RAve as the ratio of the reflected power PL,R number, i.e. the number of atoms per mole, Z is the number
to the total laser power PL depends on the polarization state of weakly bound valence electrons per atom, AA is the atomic
of the incident laser radiation. The reflectivities RP and RS of mass and ρ the mass density. In the case of iron, it is Z = 2
parallel and perpendicularly polarized radiation are given by and AA = 55.8 × 10−3 kg mol−1 . The density of liquid metals
is commonly a linear function of temperature. Experimental
the Fresnel’s relations
data can be adequately represented by the equation
(n · cos ϕIn − 1)2 + (k · cos ϕIn )2
RP = , (6) ρ = ρm.p. −
· (T − Tm.p. ), (14)
(n · cos ϕIn + 1)2 + (k · cos ϕIn )2
where Tm.p. is the melting point temperature and ρm.p. is
(n − cos ϕIn )2 + k 2
RS = , (7) the density at the melting point. For iron, it is ρm.p. =
(n + cos ϕIn )2 + k 2 7030 kg m−3 ,
= 0.88 kg m−3 K−1 and Tm.p. = 1808 K
where ϕIn is the angle of incidence, n the refractive index and [25]. At the boiling point with Tb.p. approximately 3000 K,
k the extinction coefficient [22]. In the case of un-polarized the density becomes ρb.p. = 5974 kg m−3 . Consequently, the
or circularly polarized radiation, the reflectivity RAve can be electron densities of liquid iron lie in the range between 1.52
estimated as the average value of the reflectivities RP and RS and 1.29 × 1029 m−3 and the according plasma frequencies are
according to 2.2 × 1016 s−1 at the melting point and 2.0 × 1016 s−1 at the
RP + RS boiling point. The Drude theory also provides a relationship
RAve = . (8)
2 for the collision frequency νC according to
The optical parameters refractive index n and extinction
ρe (T ) · ne (T ) · e2
coefficient k are functions of the permittivity ε according to νC = (15)
the relations me

2 1/2
(ε1 + ε22 )1/2 + ε1 with the electrical resistivity ρe (T ), which is in turn a function
n= and of temperature. In the case of liquid iron, the electrical
2
resistivity increases linearly with increasing temperature. This

2 1/2
(ε1 + ε22 )1/2 − ε1 dependence is described by the equation
k= , (9)
2
ρe (T ) = ρe,0 +
e · (T − 273 K) (16)
where ε1 is the real and ε2 the imaginary part of the permittivity
[23]. These quantities can be calculated with the equations with ρe,0 = 112.3 × 10−8  m and
e = 0.0154 ×
ωP2 νC ω2 10−8  m K−1 [25]. Calculated values of the electrical
ε1 = 1 + and ε2 = · 2 P 2 (10) resistivity are ρe,m.p. = 1.36 × 10−6  m at the melting point
ωL2 + νC2 ωL ωL + νC
and ρe,b.p. = 1.54 × 10−6  m at the boiling point.
as a function of the plasma frequency ωP , the laser frequency Calculated values of the refractive index n and the
ωL and the collision frequency νC . The laser frequency ωL extinction coefficient k at the melting and the boiling point
is inversely proportional to the wavelength λ of the emitted as well as averaged values in the range between these
radiation: characteristic temperatures are listed in table 1. It is obvious
2π · c0
ωL = , (11) that the index of refraction and the extinction coefficient vary
λ only slightly with temperature but both are strongly dependent
where c0 is the vacuum speed of light. Consequently, the on the wavelength of the emitted radiation. Calculated values
laser frequency of a Yb fibre laser with λYb = 1.07 µm is of the averaged theoretical absorptivity AAve of circularly
ωL = 1.762 × 1015 s−1 . In comparison, CO2 lasers with polarized or un-polarized laser radiation as a function of the
λCO2 = 10.6 µm have a laser frequency of 1.778 × 1014 s−1 . angle ϕIn of incidence are shown in figure 3. It is obvious

3
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507 A Mahrle and E Beyer

Table 1. Index of refraction and extinction coefficient of iron for

different wavelengths and temperatures (melting point, boiling point
and average).
Wavelength = 1.07 µm Wavelength = 10.6 µm
Temperature (K) n k n k
1800 5.46 3.96 15.5 15.1
3000 5.14 3.68 14.6 14.1
2400 5.30 3.82 15.0 14.6

Figure 4. Absorptivity ratio aAve versus the angle of incidence.

Figure 3. Absorptivity of molten iron for un-polarized laser

radiation with different wavelengths.

that the absorptivity reaches a maximum at a distinct angle of

incidence, which is referred to be the Brewster angle ϕBr [1]. Figure 5. Model of the cut front inclination in interaction with the
After reaching this angle the absorptivity strongly laser beam.
decreases with further increased values of the angle of
incidence. Because ϕBr,Yb < ϕBr,CO2 there is a region in which inclination can be derived. Figure 5 shows the simplified two-
the absorptivity AAve for CO2 laser radiation is significantly dimensional model of the cut front enabling an estimate of
better than the absorptivity for Yb fibre laser radiation with the typical values of the cut front inclination according to
tenfold shorter wavelength. The ratio aAve of the absorptivity

values for un-polarized laser radiation according to tC
ϕIn = arctan , (18)
rT (tC , fP ) + rB (tC , fP )
AAve,CO2 (λ = 10.6 µm)
aAve = (17)
AAve,Yb (λ = 1.07 µm) where tC is the thickness of the sheet, fP is the focus position
and rT and rB are the beam radii at the top and the bottom
becomes greater than two for high angles of incidence surfaces of the sheet which are both functions of tC and fP . The
ϕIn > 89◦ and the distinct value ϕa where the absorptivity ratio radii rT and rB can be calculated as a function of the distance z
aAve is greater than one corresponds to 85.9◦ , see figure 4. from the beam waist with the focus radius r0 by means of the
Consequently, the argument that the absorptivity of metals for common beam propagation equation
Yb-laser radiation is better than the absorptivity for CO2 laser
radiation is only right for angles of incidence ϕ < ϕa . 
2 1/2
z
rz = r0 · 1 + (19)
zR
3. Inclination of the cutting front and averaged
effective intensity with z = fp for the determination of rT and z = tC − fP for the
determination of rB . A characteristic quantity of equation (19)
The discussion of the absorptivity as a function of the angle is the corresponding Rayleigh length zR denoting the distance
of incidence has shown that the inclination angle of the cut between the origin of the beam waist and the point along the
front can have an important impact on the efficiency of the propagation axis where the beam radius rZ is increased to
cutting process. Following an argumentation by Steen [1] that 1.41·r0 . The Rayleigh length zR of a laser beam is defined to be
the beam is coupled to the workpiece more efficiently by less
being lost through the cut kerf as the cut rate is increased, a π · r02
zR = (20)
geometrical relationship between beam geometry and cut front M2 · λ

4
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507
Figure 6. Theoretically expected cut front angles versus the sheet
thickness for diffraction-limited laser beams with r0 = 0.1 mm and
fP = 0.5 · tC in comparison with the wavelength-dependent
optimum inclination angles.
with the laser wavelength λ and the beam propagation ratio
M 2 which is an often used relative measure of the beam
quality. Both fibre lasers and CO2 lasers are available with a
high beam quality and for the sake of comparability Gaussian
or diffraction-limited beams with M 2 = 1 are assumed for
both laser types. In this case, the Rayleigh length of a
CO2 laser beam amounts approximately only a tenths of the
Rayleigh length of a fibre laser beam with the same value of
the focus radius. Consequently, the cut front inclination ϕIn
will be commonly higher in the case of fibre laser radiation.
Calculated inclination angles versus the sheet thickness are
shown in figure 6 for r0 = 0.1 mm and fP = 0.5 · tC . The most
distinctive feature between CO2 and fibre laser beams is the
relation of the expected cut front angle ϕIn to the theoretical
optimum cut front angle ϕOpt with the maximum value of
absorptivity. Because in the case of fibre laser cutting the
value ϕOpt,Yb is in a wide range of sheet thicknesses much
smaller than the expected inclination angle, it can be concluded
that fibre laser cutting of thicker section steel often works in
a regime where the absorptivity is not optimal. Using a fibre
laser beam with the assumed values of focus radius r0 and focus
position fP , the maximum absorptivity is reached for a sheet
thickness of about 1 mm. In comparison, the optimum cut front
inclination for a CO2 laser beam with the same values of focus
radius and focus position is achieved for a sheet thickness of
about 6 mm.
Introducing the derived functional connectedness between
cut front inclination and sheet thickness to the calculation
operation of the absorptivity, it becomes possible to calculate
the average absorptivity AAve as a function of sheet thickness.
Figure 7 shows calculated values of the absorptivity for
different focus radii of fibre laser and CO2 laser beams.
Regarding the calculated values for the fibre laser radiation, it is
obvious that after reaching its maximum value the absorptivity
appreciably falls with increased sheet thickness and the smaller
the focus radius the steeper is the decrease. An increase in
the focus radius does not change this dependence noticeably
and the calculated absorptivity in the range of higher sheet
thicknesses becomes always smaller than the absorptivity for
5
A Mahrle and E Beyer
Figure 7. Calculated absorptivity AAve of iron versus the sheet
thickness under conditions relevant for laser beam fusion cutting.
CO2 laser radiation. Because the Brewster angle for CO2 laser
radiation is achieved for higher sheet thicknesses where the
inclination angle changes only slightly with sheet thickness,
the absorptivity of CO2 laser radiation can be regarded as
almost constant for a wide range of higher material thicknesses.
In order to get an additional measure of the effectiveness of
different laser beams, the absorbed laser power can be related
to the surface area ACF of the cutting front. For the sake of
simplicity, it is assumed that ACF approximately corresponds
to the surface of an inclined plane. The width wK of this plane,
i.e. the kerf width, is assumed to be the twofold of the arithmetic
average of the beam radii r0 , rT and rB at the focus position, as
well as at the top and the bottom surfaces of the sheet. In this
case, the irradiated surface area follows to
w K · tC 2 (r0 + rT + rB ) · tC
ACF = = · (21)
sin(ϕIn ) 3 sin(ϕIn )
as a function of the sheet thickness and the inclination angle.
The average of the effective beam intensity ICF on the cut front
surface is then defined to be
3 · sin(ϕIn ) · AAve (tC ) PL
ICF = · . (22)
2 · (r0 + rT + rB ) tC
These intensity values can be related to a reference intensity
ICF,R of a diffraction-limited fibre laser beam with a focus
radius r0,R = 100 µm, getting the effective intensity iCF in the
following dimensionless form:
ICF sin(ϕIn ) · AAve (tC ) (r0 + rT + rB )
iCF = = · .
ICF,R sin(ϕIn,R ) · AAve,R (tC ) (r0,R + rT,R + rB,R )
(23)
Calculated values of the intensity iCF are shown in figure 8 as a
function of the sheet thickness for different radii of fibre laser
and CO2 laser beams and figure 9 shows the corresponding
estimated kerf widths wK for the different laser beams.
The tendency in the estimated values of the relative
effective intensity are in agreement with the experimental fact
that the performance capability of fibre laser radiation seems
to be restricted to thinner sections and that the advantages
fall as section thickness increases when the achievable cut
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507
Figure 8. Average of the effective laser intensity as a function of
sheet thickness.
Figure 9. Estimated values of the kerf width as a function of sheet
thickness for different diffraction-limited laser beams.
rates are compared with CO2 laser cutting [26]. The results
received for diffraction-limited beams suggest that the effective
intensity of a CO2 laser beam with r0 = 100 µm is higher
than the intensity of a fibre laser beam with the same beam
radius for sheet thicknesses above tC approximately 3 mm, and
even higher than the effective intensity of a fibre laser beam
with r0 = 50 µm for sheet thicknesses above tC approximately
5 mm despite the fact that the expected kerf width wK is higher
in the case of CO2 laser cutting. In the case of a CO2 laser
beam with a beam radius of r0 = 50 µm, however, the relative
intensity is always smaller than the intensity of a fibre laser
beam with the same radius and smaller than the intensity of
a fibre laser radius with r0 = 100 mm for sheet thicknesses
greater than 6 mm. This is caused by the shorter Rayleigh
length zR,CO2 = 0.74 mm of the CO2 laser beam with a beam
radius of r0 = 50 µm that gives rise to a strong increase
in the estimated kerf width with increased sheet thickness,
see figure 9. These results underline the already well-known
importance of a proper choice of the focus radius for a given
sheet thickness.
It has to be emphasized that the achieved findings were
derived from a simplified geometrical cut front model that is
assumed to be valid only for the achievable maximum cutting
6
A Mahrle and E Beyer
Figure 10. Model of the cut front inclination in interaction with a
longitudinally oscillating laser beam.
speed for a given laser beam at a particular power level.
Furthermore, multiple reflections which play a considerable
role in the process efficiency under specific cutting conditions,
e.g. in high-speed thin section cutting with a keyhole-like
interaction zone [27] or in thick section cutting with curved
cutting fronts [9, 28] are not taken into account. Additional
experimental work is consequently intended to verify the
model assumptions and the limits for the applicability of the
derived model.
4. Strategies for improving the efficiency of fibre
laser cutting
It could be shown by means of theoretical considerations that
the efficiency in fusion cutting can be strongly dependent on the
cut front inclination, i.e. on a self-regulating parameter of the
cutting process, which is in turn a function of the beam radius r0
and the material thickness tC being cut. This fact is especially
important for fibre laser cutting because optimal conditions for
the absorption of fibre laser radiation seem to be offered for
thin metal sheets only, and an improvement of the process
efficiency for cutting sheets with higher thicknesses seems
to need a control of the cut front formation up to inclination
angles at which the absorptivity is in the range of the theoretical
optimum. The simplest way to increase the inclination angle
is to work with greater focus radii but in spite of the higher
absorptivity values at particular sheet thicknesses according
to figure 7 the effective intensity on the cut front surface is
nevertheless reduced due to the expected bigger kerf width
as shown in figures 8 and 9. A more promising way could
therefore be the adaption of the beam oscillation technology
with a longitudinal beam deflection during the cutting process,
see figure 10.
By means of the beam oscillation technique it is expected
that the cut front inclination angle ϕIn can be controlled as a
function of the oscillation amplitude a0 according to


tC
ϕIn = arctan . (24)
rT (tC , fP ) + 2 a0 + rB (tC , fP )
Indeed, first experimental investigations with a real fibre laser
beam (M 2 ≈ 7) showed that the beam oscillation technology
offers the potential to control the cut front inclination without
noticeable widening of the cut kerf [29]. The aim of these
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507 A Mahrle and E Beyer

Figure 11. Longitudinal micro-sections of the cut front for different values of the oscillation amplitude (f = 200 Hz). Parameter: fibre laser
IPG YLR 4000 MM (M 2 ≈ 7), laser power = 2500 W, focus radius = 55 µm, focal position = −6 mm, cutting speed = 0.6 m min−1 ,
material = stainless steel 1.4301, thickness = 8 mm, cutting gas = nitrogen, cutting gas pressure = 8 bar.

initial experiments was to find out whether the beam oscillation

technique allows a control of the cut front inclination by
changing the oscillation amplitude without deterioration of
the process stability. Cutting trials were carried out with a
longitudinal harmonic beam deflection varying the oscillation
amplitude a0 as well as the oscillation frequency f . It
was surprising that the stability of the cutting process was
not affected in a broad range of oscillation parameters.
Figure 11 shows longitudinal micro-sections of the cut front
for the given cutting parameters and different values of the
oscillation amplitude. As expected, the oscillation amplitude
has a significant impact on the cut front inclination and
the inclination angles of the experimental trials are in good
agreement with the theoretical ones, see figure 12. However,
the inclination angles still depend on the oscillation frequency
(see figure 13) and, for high oscillation amplitudes 2a0 > Figure 12. Measured and calculated cut front angles versus the
2 mm, the inclination angle becomes a function of the depth. oscillation amplitude. Parameter: longitudinal harmonic oscillation
This could be evidence that the currently realizable oscillation with f = 200 Hz.
frequencies in the order of some hundred hertz are not high
enough to achieve steady-state conditions with respect to the view. It is furthermore expected that the application of the
cut front formation. Besides this fact, the beam oscillation beam oscillation technology not only needs higher oscillation
also affects the material removal from the cut kerf as well as frequencies but also an adaption of other important cutting
the resultant cut edge quality, too. The inherent interactions parameters concerning, for example, the gas nozzle design and
between cutting parameters and cutting results seem to be the resultant cutting gas flow.
more complex than in conventional laser beam fusion cutting
and are not adequately understood yet. Consequently, further
experimental work has to be done to identify all factors of 5. Summary and conclusions
influence and to clarify the involved relationships between a
chosen oscillation regime, the cutting performance and the Theoretical considerations of the efficiency of laser fusion
resultant properties of the cut kerf from a practical point of cutting with regard to the applied laser source were made. As

7
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507
Figure 13. Measured and fitted cut front angle versus the oscillation
frequency. Parameter: longitudinal harmonic oscillation
with 2a0 = 2.0 mm.
a first step, the absorptivity of steel at elevated temperatures
between the melting and the boiling point has been calculated
for the typical laser wavelengths λYb = 1.07 µm of fibre
laser radiation and λCO2 = 10.6 µm of CO2 laser radiation.
Based on Fresnel’s relations for directional reflectivity, the
absorptivity shows a characteristic behaviour as a function
of the angle of incidence between laser radiation and surface
being irradiated. In the case of parallel and circularly polarized
as well as un-polarized laser radiation, the absorptivity initially
grows with increased angles of incidence from a base value
for perpendicularly incident laser radiation to a maximum at
an angle which is referred to as the Brewster angle ϕBr . After
reaching this maximum the absorptivity drops down to zero in
the range ϕBr < ϕ < 90◦ . The value of the Brewster angle
depends on the material as well as on the laser wavelength. For
molten steel, the calculated values are ϕBr,Yb = 79.6◦ for fibre
laser radiation and ϕBr,CO2 = 87.3◦ for CO2 laser radiation.
As a result, there is a range ϕ > 85.9◦ in which CO2 laser
radiation is better absorbed by a molten ferrous surface than
the radiation of a fibre laser beam.
In a second step, the inclination angles of the cut front of
laser fusion cutting processes have been theoretically estimated
as a function of the beam propagation characteristics and the
sheet thickness to be cut. It could be shown that the expected
inclination angles in medium and thick sheet fibre laser cutting
are far away from optimum values at which the absorptivity
reaches its maximum. As a result, the absorptivity of ferrous
alloys to fibre laser radiation will be probably high for thin sheet
metal cutting only. In contrast, the theoretical absorptivity to
CO2 laser radiation is high and nearly constant over a broad
range of sheet thicknesses. Consequently, and for a given sheet
thickness, the effective intensity of a CO2 laser beam on the
surface of the cut front can be higher than the intensity of a
fibre laser beam even in the case of greater focus radii of the
CO2 laser beam.
The proposed model of the cutting process allows
an estimation of achievable maximum cutting speeds with
consideration of the specified absorptivity dependence of
8
A Mahrle and E Beyer
Figure 14. Theoretically achievable cutting speeds versus the sheet
thickness for diffraction-limited fibre laser beams with and without
consideration of the absorptivity dependence on the sheet thickness.
ferrous alloys to fibre laser radiation according to the relation
AOpt (tC ) · PL
vC = . (25)
tC · wK (tC ) · ρ · hm
Calculated values are shown in figure 14 for diffraction-
limited fibre laser beams demonstrating clearly significant
differences in comparison with calculations with an assumed
constant maximum absorptivity value of AOpt = 0.478.
Hence, the cutting speeds decrease more rapidly with sheet
thickness if the thickness-dependent absorptivity behaviour is
considered. Additionally, the differences in the achievable
maximum cutting rates between laser beams with different
focus radii become smaller with increased sheet thickness and
even disappear for higher sheet thicknesses. Consequently, the
advantage of using a small focus radius in order to generate
narrow cut kerfs with reduced energy needs seems to be also
promising in thin sheet metal cutting only.
It is anticipated that improvements of the energy transfer
efficiency for fibre laser cutting of thicker steel sheets needs
a control of the cut front inclination. Initial experiments have
demonstrated that such a control is feasible during the cutting
process if the laser beam is longitudinally oscillated with
oscillation amplitudes corresponding to a multiple of the beam
diameter. However, the establishment of this methodology
probably needs further improvements of the used system
technology in order to get higher oscillation frequencies as
a necessary precondition for steady-state conditions for the
energy input at the laser-induced cut front.
References
[1] Steen W M 1998 Laser Material Processing (Berlin: Springer)
2nd edn pp 106–16
[2] Petring D 2001 Cutting processes LIA Handbook of Laser
Materials Processing ed J F Ready and D F Farson
(Orlando, FL: Magnolia Publishing) pp 425–6
[3] Schuöcker D 1986 Dynamic phenomena in laser cutting and
cut quality Appl. Phys. B: Photophys. Laser Chem. 40 9–14
[4] Schulz W, Simon G, Urbassek H M and Decker I 1987 On laser
fusion cutting of metals J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 20 481–8
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 (2009) 175507
[5] Schulz W, Becker D, Franke J, Kemmerling R and Herziger G
1993 Heat-conduction losses in laser cutting of metals
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 26 1357–63
[6] Olsen F O 1994 Fundamental mechanisms of cutting front
formation in laser cutting Laser Materials Processing:
Industrial and Microelectronics Applications, Proc. SPIE
2207 402–13
[7] Schulz W, Kostrykin V, Nießen M, Michel J, Petring D,
Kreutz E W and Poprawe R 1999 Dynamics of ripple
formation and melt flow in laser beam cutting J. Phys. D:
Appl. Phys. 32 1219–28
[8] Kovalev O B and Zaitsev A V 2004 Modeling of the
free-surface shape in laser cutting of metals: I. Effect of
polarization of the Gaussian beam on the shape of the
surface formed J. Appl. Mech. Tech. Phys. 45 915–21
[9] Kovalev O B and Zaitsev A V 2005 Modeling of the
free-surface shape in laser cutting of metals: II. Model of
multiple reflection and absorption of radiation J. Appl.
Mech. Tech. Phys. 46 9–13
[10] Gross M, Black I and Müller W H 2005 3-D simulation model
for gas-assisted laser cutting Lasers Eng. 15 129–46
[11] Gross M 2006 On gas dynamic effects in the modelling of
laser cutting processes Appl. Math. Modelling
30 307–18
[12] Pedrotti F, Pedrotti L, Bausch W and Schmidt H 2002 Optik
fuer Ingenieure (Berlin: Springer) 2nd edn p 602
[13] Olsen F O 2001 Polarisation effects in laser cutting LIA
Handbook of Laser Materials Processing ed J F Ready and
D F Farson pp 433–6 (section 12.1.7)
[14] Niziev V G and Nesterov A V 1999 Influence of beam
polarisation on laser cutting efficiency J. Phys. D: Appl.
Phys. 32 1455–61
[15] Nesterov A V and Niziev V G 2000 Laser beams with axially
symmetric polarization J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.
33 1817–22
[16] Powell J 1998 CO2 Laser Cutting 2nd edn (Berlin: Springer)
[17] Olsen F O 2006 An evaluation of the cutting potential of
different types of high power lasers Proc. ICALEO 2006
(Scottsdale, AZ) (Orlando, FL: Laser Institute of America)
pp 188–96
View publication stats
A Mahrle and E Beyer
[18] Sparkes M, Gross M, Celotto S, Zhang T and O’Neill W 2006
Inert cutting of medium section stainless steel using a
2.2 kW high brightness fibre laser Proc. ICALEO 2006
(Scottsdale, AZ) (Orlando, FL: Laser Institute of America)
pp 197–205
[19] Wandera C, Salminen A, Olsen F O and Kujanpää V 2006
Cutting of stainless steel with fiber and disk laser Proc.
ICALEO 2006 (Scottsdale, AZ) (Orlando, FL: Laser
Institute of America) pp 211–20
[20] O’Neill B 2008 Laser cutting: a technology with some surprise
in store The Laser User issue 51, Summer 2008
[21] Petring D, Schneider F, Wolf N and Nazery V 2008 The
relevance of brightness for high power laser cutting and
welding Proc. ICALEO 2008 (Temecula, CA) (Orlando, FL:
Laser Institute of America) pp 95–103
[22] Modest M F 2001 Reflectivity and absorptivity of opaque
surfaces LIA Handbook of Laser Materials Processing
ed J F Ready and D F Farson (Orlando, FL: Magnolia
Publishing) pp 175–81
[23] Beyer E 1995 Schweissen mit Laser (Berlin: Springer)
pp 28–36
[24] Ashcroft N W and Mermin N D 1976 Solid State Physics
(Orlando, FL: Saunders College Publishing) 799pp
[25] Iida T and Guthrie R I L 1993 The Physical Properties of
Liquid Metals (Oxford: Clarendon) 288pp
[26] O’Neill W, Gross M, Sparkes M and Zhang T 2008 Analysis
of disc and fibre laser cutting of metals Stuttgarter Laser
Technologies Forum (Stuttgart, Germany, 4–5 March 2008)
[27] Pressig, K U 1995 Verfahrens- und anlagenentwicklung zum
laserstrahl-hochgeschwindigkeitsschneiden von
metallischem bandmaterial Thesis RWTH Aachen,
Germany
[28] Duan J, Man H C and Yue T M 2001 Modelling the laser
fusion cutting process: I. Mathematical modelling of the cut
kerf geometry for laser fusion cutting of thick metal J. Phys.
D: Appl. Phys. 34 2127–34
[29] Mahrle A, Bartels F and Beyer E 2008 Theoretical aspects of
the process efficiency in laser beam cutting with fibre lasers
Proc. ICALEO 2008 (Temecula, CA, USA) (Laser Institute
of America) pp 703–12