Module-3: ADVANCED MATERIAL REMOVAL PROCESSES

Lecture No-13

Equipment of Laser Beam Machining, Process Parameters and Safety Issues

The Laser machines or the overall Laser system has the following components:

 Optics Unit: Mirrors and focusing lens.

 Power supply unit
 Workpiece rest table which may be fixed or may move in up to 2 directions
 Scrap removal system
 Assist gas system/debris removal system
 Control Unit

The optics unit consists of mirror and focusing lens. Mirror is used to direct the beam
from the source to the lens. The lens focuses the beam and converts it into desired
geometry and directs it onto the workpiece. The assist gas system removes the molten
metal which does not get vaporized at the end. The control unit, which is specifically a
computer program, helps to achieve the desired shape and profile in the workpiece.

Process Parameters in Laser Beam Machining

The process parameters of LBM can be grouped in the following categories.

1. Beam geometry: beam diameter, beam power intensity

2. Target material or workpiece: Type, Composition, cut width (kerf), cut time,
mechanical properties, such as hardness, fracture properties and metallurgical
properties.
The four physical parameters of the workpiece include: Reflectivity, Specific
Heat, Thermal Conductivity and Latent Heat. (These parameters are preferred to
be lower in magnitude for increasing the process efficiency as the energy required
to melt and vaporize the material is lesser in LBM)
 3. Process: Cutting, drilling, holography, enggraving and welding
4. Machine configurration: Movin
ng workpiecce, moving laser unit andd fiber optic
deliveery
5. Lasing
g material: gaseous,
g soliid state

The
T Ishikawaa cause and gram is connstructed to depict the effect of vaarious
d effect diag
prrocess param
meters on the accuracy and
a quality oof the machiining operations by the L
LBM
prrocess. The cause and efffect diagram
m is as show
wn in Fig. 3.113.1

Safetty Issues in using Laserr as a Sourcce in any Ap

pplication
 Lasers can burn and make a person blind. Hence, eyes and skin should be protected from
scattered beams. The low power lasers can also cause damage to the retina leading to
blindness.

 Operator should wear gas masks to protect against generated fumes.