ARTICLE IN PRESS

International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461

www.elsevier.com/locate/ijmactool

An investigation of laser-assisted machining of Al2O3 ceramics planing

Chih-Wei Changa,, Chun-Pao Kuob
a
Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC
b
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC
Received 19 April 2006; received in revised form 12 June 2006; accepted 15 June 2006
Available online 4 August 2006

Abstract

Laser-assisted machining (LAM), an alternative method of fabricating difficult-to-machine materials, uses primarily laser power to
heat the local area (without necessarily evaporating or melting any material) before the material is removed. It not only efficiently reduces
the cutting force during the manufacturing process but also improves the machining characteristics and geography with regard to
difficult-to-machine materials, especially structural ceramics.
This study on the application of laser-assisted machining to Al2O3 ceramics examines the measurements of cutting force and workpiece
surface temperature as well as surface integrity and tool wear. Specifically, it uses the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to calculate the
temperature distribution inside the ceramic workpiece during the LAM process and ensure that the laser energy causes no subsurface
damage. The experimental results reveal that the LAM process efficiently reduces the cutting force by 22% (feed force) and 20% (thrust
force) and produces better workpiece surface quality than conventional planing.
r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Laser-assisted machining; Difficult-to-machine materials; LBM; Cutting force

1. Introduction
Because of their low density, superior wear and
corrosion resistance, and high-temperature strength, ad-
vanced structural ceramics like aluminum oxide, silicon
nitride, and zirconia are increasingly being used in
engineering and medical applications. In engineering, they
are used in the production of such parts as bearings, water
pump seals, the adiabatic material of catalytic converters,
roller followers, valves, rotors, and cutting tools; and in
medicine, for such components as artificial joints [1], bones,
and teeth. However, due to the inherent hardness and
brittle nature of ceramic materials, conventional grinding
and diamond machining, which represent the most widely
used machining methods, currently provide the only
options for machining ceramics to the required accuracy
[2,3]. Nevertheless, even though conventional diamond
grinding can satisfy the requirements for both dimensional
Corresponding author. National Chung Cheng University, Depart-
ment of Mechanical Engineering, 168, University Road, Taiwan 621.
E-mail address: ray.c6721@msa.hinet.net (C.-W. Chang).
accuracy and surface finish, its major problem is still its
high machining cost, which accounts for 60–90% of the
total cost of the end product [4,5]. Hence, there is now a
demand for ceramic processing methods capable of
enhancing material removal rates, reducing tool wear,
and increasing the surface quality of the workpiece. Within
the last 10 years, laser-assisted machining (LAM) has been
suggested as a promising technique for achieving higher
material removal rates in machining ceramic materials. The
intense, localized heat source of laser power inherent to this
process affords an extremely effective method for increas-
ing the temperature of the workpiece material just in front
of the cutting location (see Fig. 1). Through this kind of
heating, a precision laser can change the ceramic deforma-
tion behavior from brittle to ductile before material is
removed, which also reduces the yield strength of the
ceramic to a value below the fracture strength, thereby
eliminating melting or sublimation of the workpiece
surface or destruction of the subsurface.
Several researchers have investigated advanced ceramics
in a thermally assisted turning operation. For example,
Copley [6], who applied a fillister-shaped removal mode to

0890-6955/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2006.06.010
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461 453

Nomenclature s source term

t time
c velocity vector T temperature
cp specific heat u energy density
D(o) density of states ux component of the velocity in the x-direction
e energy distribution function v velocity of the particle
e0 equilibrium energy distribution function vy component of the velocity in the y-direction
f distribution function of particles
f0 equilibrium distribution Greek symbols
feq equilibrium distribution function of particles
F~ external force a thermal diffusivity
_ plank’s constant divided by 2p b absorption coefficient
I0 laser intensity r density
k thermal conductivity t thermal relaxation time
l mean free path O collision factor
L0 lattice length in the lattice Boltzmann method o angular frequency of phonons
*
n unit vector
~
p momentum Subscripts
q_ rate of heat generation
q00
~ heat flux i,j indices of the direction
r position

three-dimensional machining of Si3N4, pointed to the machining is about 30% greater than that produced by
relation between the fillister shape and laser polarization. conventional diamond grinding. Copley also proposed the
His results show that the strength of the Si3N4 after application of a slanted laser to heat materials at the same

Laser Equipment
Laser Beam

Tool Holder Gripper

Cylindrical Guideway

Tool

Vise
Workpiece Place

Single Axis Moving

Plate Fixed Support

Dynamometer

Working Plate

Servo Motor

Fig. 1. Schematic of planing with a LAM process.

 ARTICLE IN PRESS
454 C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461
time that a single-point cutting tool is removing the
material by lathe. This method did increase the material
removal rate and tool life but was thought to suit only
metal materials. In their search for a new ceramics cutting
technique, Uehara and Takeshita [7] used hot machining to
cut mullite and Si3N4 ceramics, measuring the outcomes in
terms of cutting force, chip shape, surface roughness, and
tool wear. The first successful use of LAM to machine
ceramic material was by Konig et al. [8], who obtained
continuous chips for hot-pressed silicon nitride when its
temperature exceeded 1200 1C. Likewise, Konig and
Zaboklicki [9] applied LAM to both turning and milling
ceramics and composites, and reported low cutting force,
small tool wear, and a high material removal rate as
characteristics. They found the surface roughness to be
equal to that of a ground surface with Ra less than 0.5 mm.
However, by not examining material removal mechanisms
and subsurface damage, this experiment neglected informa-
tion essential to the LAM process; namely, the effects of
laser energy on workpiece temperature and the impact of
temperature on tool wear.
Chryssolouris [5] tested the application of LAM to
general metals, heating the workpiece surface with a
continuous laser beam before removing the material with
a cutting tool. This experiment found a reduction in tool
wear with a cost reduction of 60–80% over the conven-
tional grinding method. Moreover, the three-dimensional
thermal model used for the predictions, developed by Rozzi
et al. [10] for a rotating workpiece undergoing laser heating
and material removal, adequately predicted the workpiece
temperature fields for LAM of Si3N4. This model explained
the influence of operating parameters on thermal condi-
tions within the workpiece by revealing that thermal energy
generation in the primary shear zone has a significant
influence on workpiece temperature distribution [11]. In the
same year, Rozzi et al. [12] also conducted a study to
evaluate LAM of silicon nitride ceramics and identified the
workpiece temperature required for successful machining.
Their experimental results reveal a surface roughness of
Ra ¼ 0.39 mm for the silicon nitride workpiece machined in
the LAM operating condition. An additional examination
of the machined surfaces and chips showed no detectable
subsurface cracking or significant changes in microstruc-
ture, respectively. Relative to grinding, the most significant
advantage of LAM is its ability to achieve much larger
material removal rates with high workpiece surface quality
and reasonable levels of tool wear. As regards temperature
simulation, numerical modeling of workpiece temperature
together with experimental measurement by pyrometer can
determine the occurrence of cracking [13].
In terms of tool life and tool wear, Pfefferkorn et al. [14]
investigated the use of LAM for magnesia partially
stabilized zirconia (PSZ) to determine the effect of heating
on machinability as determined by tool wear, cutting
energy, surface integrity, and material removal mechan-
isms. Their results show that PSZ can be successfully
machined with a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tool
and that tool life increases with material removal
temperature up to a maximum of 121 min (1210 1C).
Because optimum parameter design is an important issue
for future use, the optimal cutting parameters for turning
operations [15] are commonly determined by the Taguchi
method, an effective tool for the design of high-quality
systems that provides a simple, efficient, and systematic
approach to optimizing the performance, quality, and cost
of the LAM process.
2. Experimental setup
To compare conventional planing to aluminum oxide
planing using LAM, this study used the experimental
system illustrated in Fig. 1. It should be noted that in
LAM, the cutting force is the major objective function. The
LAM system consisted of a 25 W (continuous wave) CO2
laser with focusing optics, a single axis feeding table with a
servo motor and controller, and cubic boron nitride (CBN)
tools. The feeding table was driven by the servo motor, and
the dynamometer was installed below the table to measure
the cutting force during processing. Two square fixed
supports and a cylindrical guideway were placed onto the
dynamometer to act as the tool tower, and a vise was also
set onto the table to hold the workpiece. In this experiment,
the table was driven by the servo motor and the feeding
speed was controlled at different rotational speeds. Mean-
while, under the irradiation of laser energy, the tempera-
ture of the workpiece surface rose immediately to the
softening temperature of the aluminum oxide material,
which was instantly removed by the CBN tool behind. The
cutting force measurement was made with a dynamometer
(Kistler 9255B), a charge amplifier (Kistler), and a data
acquisition card (advanced PCL-818).
Table 1 shows the aluminum oxide ceramic material
composition specified by the manufacturer for a cuboid
aluminum oxide workpiece approximately 45 mm in length,
10 mm in width, and 10 mm in height. Table 2 represents
the relation of the variation in material parameters to the
temperature of the Al2O3. Planing was carried out using a
Sunroxm WTJNR2020K16 tool holder with TNMG1604
CBN tipped carbide tool inserts. An infrared thermometer
(Model ST 660 from Sentry Optronics) was used to
concurrently measure the temperature of the workpiece
surface, whose range is 50–999 1C with a 72 1C accuracy
and a 500 ms response time.
Table 1
Ceramic material composition(wt%)
Composition wt%
Al2O3 95.7
SiO2 1.28
MgO 1.26
CaO 1.02
Fe2O3 0.74
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Table 2
The relation of material parameters to Al2O3 temperature [Reference from CERAC, Inc.]

Temperature Specific heat (J/ Thermal Thermal Weibull Poisson’s ratio Elastic modulus Hardness (GPa)
(1C) kg K) conductivity expansion strength (MPa) (GPa)
(W/m K) (106 K1)

20 755 33(2) 4.6(2) 395 0.231 416 15

500 1165 11.4 7.1 390 0.237 390 8.5
1000 1255 7.22 8.1 360 0.244 364 4.6
1200 1285 6.67 8.3 310 0.247 354 3.7
1400 1315 6.34 8.5 210 0.25 343 2.9
1500 1330 6.23 8.6 125 0.252 338 2.5

In each experiment, after machining, the workpiece diffusion:

surface temperature was measured with an infrared  
t q2 T 1 qT 2 1 qq_
thermometer, the tool wear with an optical microscope, þ ¼ r T þ q_ þ t . (4)
and the surface roughness parameters with a surface a qt2 a qt k qt
profilometer (KOSAWA SEF3500). At least three axial Eq. (4) is still interpreted from a macroscopic perspective
measurements were taken of each machined surface at and assumes that thermal equilibrium is established in the
circumferentially random locations. Other process para- local area but may not hold true for situations with
meters included a beam spot diameter of 1.0 mm, a focal nonequilibrium energy distributions. That is, Eq. (4) is not
length of 470 mm, a laser-tool lead of 1.0 mm, and a beam suitable for use in extremely small domains. Hence, the
power of 25 W. For each case, the length of cut was Boltzmann transport equation (BTE), derived from statis-
maintained at 45 mm. tical theory, is adopted to study the thermal propagation
problem [18]:
 
3. Heat conduction model qf qf qf
þ~ ~
v  rf þ F  ¼ . (5)
qt p
q~ qt scatt
Conventional problems of heat conduction using an
For the purposes of this study, external force F~ is neglected
internal heat source are solved by the parabolic heat
conduction equation (PHCE)[16] according to Fourier’s because of the thermal transport problem (i.e., given a
law: thermal transport problem, there is no external force term
in the application of LBM). Therefore, the terms on the
1 qT q_ left-hand side of Eq. (5) represent the moving of particles at
¼ r2 T þ , (1)
a qt k their own velocities, while the terms on the right-hand side
where a is the thermal diffusivity, T is the temperature, t is represent the collision process between every particle. At
time, q_ is the rate of heat generation, and k is the thermal the same time, the collision term can be simplified by a
conductivity. single-relation time approximation, meaning that the rise in
However, energy carriers need sufficient time to propa- temperature occurs in the small range:
gate and collide; therefore, the PHCE, whose type is  
qf f f0 qf
proposed by Cattaneo [17], is remodified so that the þ~v  rf ¼  þ . (6)
qt t qt heat
buildup time for heat flux follows the established tempera-
ture gradient: Hence, according to the governing equation
   2 
~00
q ðt þ tÞ ¼ krT, (2) qT qT q T q2 T
rcp ux þ vy k þ  q_ ¼ 0 (7)
where ~ 00
q is the heat flux and t the thermal relaxation time, qx qy qx2 qy2
usually computed using the kinetic theory equation; that is, and the simplified two-dimensional transient state Four-
k ¼ rcpvl/3, and t ¼ l/v. Generally, t can be regarded as an ier’s heat conduction equation is
average time traveled by energy carriers in a process of  2   
q T q2 T qT
successive collisions. Hence, according to energy conserva- k þ  rc p þ q_ ¼ 0. (8)
tion, Eq. (2) could be revised as follows: qx2 qy2 qt

qT According to Beer’s law, the heat generation rate under a

rcp q00 þ q,
¼ r  ~ _ (3) depth of x due to the laser beam absorption is
qt
Eq. (3) can be derived further to the hyperbolic heat q_ ¼ bI 0 exp ½bðx þ yÞ, (9)
conduction equation (HHCE), which indicates that the where I0 represents the laser intensity and b is the
heat pulse propagates as a wave and is attenuated by the absorption coefficient. Accordingly, the simplified one-
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
456 C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461

dimensional transient state Fourier’s heat conduction Additionally, assuming that the initial condition is in a
equation is state of equilibrium—so P r; t ¼ 0Þ ¼ e0i ð~
that ei ð~ r; t ¼ 0Þ and
9
 2    the energy density is u ¼ i¼1 ei —the expected equilibrium
q T q2 T qT
k þ  rc p þ bI 0 exp½b  ðx þ yÞ ¼ 0. distribution
P is given by averaging the above values,
qx2 qy2 qt e0i ¼ 1=9 9i¼1 ei (see Fig. 2). For convenience, the tempera-
(10) ture increase is calculated by DT ¼ Du=rcp provided that
DT is moderate so no phase change occurs and specific heat
can be treated as a constant. For the detailed LBM
algorithm, readers can refer to publication [19] .
3.1. Formulation of the LBM

In the LBM, a kinetic equation is solved for f(x,c,t), 3.2. Temperature measurements
which in its continuum representation, is
The infrared thermometer was used to measure surface
½qt þ c  rf ¼ Oðf Þ, (11) temperature of the workpiece during laser-assisted machin-
where the collision operator has the simple linear BGK ing of aluminum oxide ceramic parts. The infrared
form (or its extension) thermometer was attached to the tool holder gripper and
therefore determined the transient surface temperature at a
1
Oðf Þ ¼  ½f  f eq . (12) single axial location on the workpiece as the laser passes. It
t was very important to assure that surface temperature has
Here, t governs the relaxation rate at which f is driven to been reached to the softened temperature under the
an feq. irradiation of laser beam before the regular LAM experi-
For the two-dimensional transient state numerical ment accomplished, so a static temperature measurement
calculation of the LBM, the heat conduction problem is was carried out in advance.
first simplified by assuming the velocity of particle ~
v to be a Hence, to ensure the processing of each workpiece at an
constant equal to the speed of sound(phonon velocity), as appropriately softened temperature, a temperature mea-
* *
in the Debye model, so that f can be written as f ðo; n ; r ; tÞ, surement experiment was carried out to gauge the
*
where n is the unit vector designating the propagating temperature variations in the workpiece surface. Firstly,
direction. According to the different polarizations of the 25 W (continuous wave) CO2 laser was started and then
phonons, the energy distribution function is obtained as emitted laser beam to the surface of workpiece. Immedi-
the following summation over integrations, ately, the infrared thermometer which attached to the tool
* * XZ * *
holder gripper began to measure the surface temperature of
eðn ; r ; tÞ ¼ _of p ðo; n ; r ; tÞDðoÞ do; (13)
p e2
e6 e5
where subscript p represents for a particular polarization
and D(o) is the density of states. Then to further apply Eq.
(13) to each term in Eq. (6) yields the equation directly
related to the energy distribution: e9
e3 e1
qe e  e0
þ~v  re ¼  þ s, (14) L0
qt t
where the source term s, which is the integration containing
(qf/qt)heat, stands for the energy increase attributed to laser e7 e8
L0 e4
heating.
Eq. (14) is solved by the LBM through discretization
using the two-dimensional physical space shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 2. Schematic of the D2Q9 lattice.
The energy distribution at any node is assigned to nine
components, where i ¼ 1,2,y,9. Depending on the differ-
ent direction vectors, Eq. (14) can be then discretized as y
qei ei  e0i Laser beam
þ~
vi  rei ¼  þ si . (15)
qt t
Aluminum oxide ceramics
Assuming a lattice length of jD~ ri j ¼ L0 and a time step of
Dt ¼ L0 =jvi j, Eq. (15) can be revised as 0
x
r; tÞ  e0i ð~
ei ð~ r; tÞ L
r þ D~
ei ð~ ri ; t þ DtÞ  ei ð~
r; tÞ ¼  þ si  Dt.
t
(16) Fig. 3. Schematic of the laser heating model.
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C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461 457

900 1000
800 900

Temperature(°C)
Temperature(°C)

700 800
600 700
600
500 500
400 400
300 300
200 200
100 100
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Time(sec) Time(sec)

Fig. 4. Variation of surface temperature. Fig. 5. Simulated variation of surface temperature measured by the LBM.

workpiece. Transient temperature measurements are

plotted in Fig. 4, beginning with an initial temperature 1000
25.0 1C and a lamp current of 30 A. As is obvious from the 900

figure, when the laser approached the location of the
infrared thermometer on the workpiece surface, the
temperature rose and rapidly exceeded the glass-transition
temperature (approximately 850 1C). Above the glass-
transition temperature, aluminum oxide ceramics became
more viscous, expand volumetrically, and transformed into
elastomers, which also caused the grains or groups of
grains to detach from the surface. It was this moment that
would be the most opportune for machining aluminum
oxide ceramics.
3.3. LBM computational results
The model is verified by simulation of the temperature
variation using the LBM. In the case shown in Figs. 2 and
3, the aluminum oxide workpiece was assumed to consist of
100  100 lattices and was used to calculate the tempera-
ture distribution inside the Al2O3 aluminum oxide ceramic
workpiece using LBM. Eq. (16) was solved for a model
problem in which a laser pulse was incident on the
aluminum oxide surface, which was initially at a uniform
temperature of 25.0 1C. Calculation of the workpiece’s
surface temperature variation by the LBM and a heat
conduction model (see Fig. 5) shows that the surface
temperature rises to 850 1C (glass-transition temperature)
in 4 s. It also adequately explains why, given appropriate
irradiation of laser power, the workpiece surface can be
softened quickly and efficiently so that the workpiece
material can be removed easily. Additionally, increasing
the temperature of the ceramic workpiece lowers the yield
strength below the fracture strength so that material
removal occurs through plastic deformation rather than
brittle fracture.
To additionally evaluate the extent of damage to the
subsurface during LAM, the perpendicular temperature
distribution under the workpiece surface was calculated by
the LBM to ensure that the great heating energy of the
laser power will not be conducted to the subsurface from
the workpiece suface. It is apparent from the simulated
result plotted in Fig. 6 that the temperature rapidly
decreases to less than 100 1C at a depth of 0.1 mm, which
Temperature(°C)
80
0
70
0
60
0
50
0
40
0
30
0
20
0
10
0
0
0 0.0001 0.0002 0.0003 0.0004 0.0005 0.0006
Depth(m)
Fig. 6. Simulated temperature variation inside the material measured by
the LBM.
in turn illustrates that the high temperature caused by the
high-power laser does not affect the structure of the
sublayer.
3.4. Material removal mechanisms
Because the viscosity of the ceramic boundary particles
decreases as temperature increases—thereby enhancing
plastic flow and postponing crack formation within the
material—the chip quantity also increases as workpiece
temperature rises. Since chip separation from the alumi-
num oxide ceramics surface occurs through crack propaga-
tion along the shear zone, delayed break formation at the
higher temperature should produce larger chips. Such chip
formation is dominated by the intergranular fracture
preceding the material’s plastic flow, while the main
fracture mechanism is a transgranular fracture with
negligible deformation at room temperature [20]. Accord-
ing to Lei et al.’s [20] scanning electron micrographs (SEM)
of chip microstructure under different situations of feed
and temperature, during the LAM process, the glass phase
at the grain boundaries and the grain-junction pocket
softens at high temperatures, allowing slippage and
rotation of the ceramic grains. Likewise, cutting produces
certain aluminum oxide material removal mechanisms.
First, when the temperature of the workpiece surface
increases under laser irradiation and exceeds the glass-
transition temperature of the intergranular glassy phase,
the glassy-phase material viscosity decreases and the Al2O3
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458 C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461

lattice is mobilized. Second, in the process of LAM cutting, 45

the Al2O3 lattice at the shear deformation zone begins to 40
slip at its boundaries, resulting in interactions between 35

Cutting Force
them. Meanwhile, the glassy-phase material flows and 30
redistributes along the lattice boundaries while the material 25
deforms plastically. It is this intergranular glassy phase that 20 Fx (N)
joins the Al2O3 grains and maintains the plastic deforma- 15 Fy (N)
tion. Without the glassy-phase boundary, the material 10 linear (Fx (N))
would immediately crack during removal. 5 linear (Fy (N))
0
0 0.9 1.8 2.7 3.6 4.5 5.4 6.3

Time (s)
4. Results and discussion
Fig. 9. Cutting force data for conventional planing (Fx, feed force; Fy,
thrust force).
4.1. Cutting force

This section describes the experimental results, obtained

under the nominal condition, of an extensive number of 40
experimental tests on the effects of various operating 35
parameters. The results show that, with a suitable
30
preheating procedure and proper machining conditions, Cutting Force
25
nearly constant cutting temperature can be achieved
throughout the LAM of Al2O3 aluminum oxide ceramics. 20
Figs. 7–10 show the measured cutting force under the 15
cutting condition described in Table 3. 10
Fx (N)
Fy (N)
linear (Fx (N))
5 linear (Fy (N))
0
0 0.9 1.8 2.7 3.6 4.5 5.4 6.3
60
Time (s)
50
Fig. 10. Cutting force data for planing by LAM (Fx, feed force; Fy, thrust
Cutting Force

40 force).
Fx (N)
30
Fy (N)
20 linear (Fx (N))
linear (Fy (N)) Table 3
10 Experimental conditions for the LAM tests
0 Parameter Magnitude
0 0.45 0.9 1.35 1.8 2.25 2.7 3.15
Time (s) Laser power (W) 25
Preheat time (s) 5
Fig. 7. Cutting force data for conventional planning (Fx, feed force; Fy, Laser beam diameter (mm) 1.0
thrust force). Laser-tool lead (mm) 1.0
Depth of cut (mm) 0.05
Feed rate (m/min) 1.0
0.5
50

40
Cutting Force

30 4.1.1. Feed rate ¼ 1.0 m/min

Fx (N) Because of the material lattice rearrangement caused by
20 Fy (N) the high temperature induced by laser power, the material
linear (Fx (N)) property is changed from brittle to ductile. When the
10
linear (Fy (N)) surface temperature of the workpiece material exceeds the
0 yield point, its hardness decreases rapidly and the cutting
0 0.45 0.9 1.35 1.8 2.25 2.7 3.15
resistance becomes smaller. Hence, the cutting force also
Time (s) decreases, making this moment the most advantageous for
Fig. 8. Cutting force data for planing by LAM (Fx, feed force; Fy, thrust cutting. The measurements of the cutting force in conven-
force). tional planing and LAM are plotted as Figs. 7 and 8,
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461
respectively. It is apparent that the cutting force decreases
approximately 10 N more with LAM than with conven-
tional planing. Moreover, the cutting force components are
nearly constant during the machining cycle, indicating that
the temperature is constant.
4.1.2. Feed rate ¼ 0.5 m/min
When the material of the cutting zone is heated by laser
irradiation, the aluminum oxide matrix becomes softer and
more conducive to plastic deformation, which leads to a
reduction in the pushing force from the tool to the
machined surface. The measurements of the cutting force
in conventional planing and LAM are plotted as Figs. 9
and 10, respectively. It is apparent that the cutting force
decreases approximately 5 N more with LAM than with
conventional planing. After the feed rate decreases to
0.5 m/min, the cutting force in LAM is reduced by
approximately 12% for the feed force and 10% for the
thrust force. Additionally, because of the slower feed rate,
the cutting force during machining is smaller. These data
show clearly that LAM is constructive for the processing of
difficult-to-machine materials such as ceramics.
4.2. Surface roughness
Of great importance to LAM is the quality of the
machined surface compared to that obtained from a
planing operation, which is a conventional machining
technique. Therefore, once the experimental matrix is
completed, the surface roughness parameters along the
machined surface are measured and 10 points are selected
at which to evaluate surface roughness, with each reported
value based on an average of three measurements taken
around the machined surface. Each measurement by the
surface profilometer uses a transverse length of 5 mm and a
cutoff length of 1.0 mm. The small amount of variation in
the LAM experimental matrix data for most cases (see
Table 4) clearly illustrates that the surface integrity
performance using LAM is much better than that using
conventional machining. In fact, the values of surface
roughness using conventional machining are considerably
unstable. As the micrographs of typical surface features
Table 4
Comparison of surface roughness
Surface roughness (Ra, mm)
Case
LAM Conventional
1 3.24 7.81
2 3.69 7.63
3 3.58 8.25
4 3.14 10.26
5 2.98 11.34
6 3.40 7.92
7 3.95 12.35
8 4.03 9.84
9 4.12 10.57
10 4.08 12.83
459
from conventional planing and LAM show (see Fig. 11),
the conventionally produced cutting region is rough and
vibration occurs because of the material’s naturally high
cutting resistance (Fig. 11a). This observation amply
illustrates the difficulty of machining high-hardness struc-
tural ceramics like aluminum oxide. In contrast, the cutting
region produced by LAM (see Fig. 11b) looks smooth and
straight, which is attributable to the plastic flow of the
material. These results provide clear evidence that the
surfaces generated by LAM have excellent advantages for
processing structural ceramics.
4.3. Tool wear
Tool wear is an important factor affecting the surface
roughness of the workpiece. Tool wear can be reduced and
the workpiece’s surface quality relatively improved if tool
life is extended. Because the cutting resistance of processing
aluminum oxide ceramics is extremely large, this assump-
tion is tested twice for each case and the better result
selected for use in the test matrix. For the same reason, a
fresh new tool is used for each case. Figs. 12 and 13 are the
optical micrographs of the tool wear in LAM planing.
As illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, the tool wear values for
LAM planing are very slight and smooth. Indeed, the tool
used in conventional planing exhibits serious abrasion and
large-area fracture on the rake and flank faces, while the
tool employed in the LAM tests (see Figs. 12 and 13) shows
no such critical fracture and wear on either the rake or
flank faces.
5. Conclusions
As technology advances, myriad sophisticated composite
materials are applied in the manufacturing of high-
precision engineering parts. At the same time, there is a
corresponding demand for new processing methods to
machine these high-hardness composite materials. To fill
this demand, this research included repeated experiments
using laser-assisted machining to plane aluminum oxide
ceramic materials. Besides measuring cutting force and
surface roughness, the investigation also compared tool
wear using micrographs. The results indicate not only that
LAM is appropriate for the reduction of cutting force
during machining of high-hardness ceramics but that it
produces much better surface integrity. According to the
experimental measurements given in Figs. 7–10, cutting
force can be efficiently reduced by about 10–16% with
LAM. In terms of surface roughness, the planing by LAM
had a surface roughness of Ra ¼ 2.98 mm, much better than
that from conventional machining. Moreover, the reduced
cutting resistance as temperature increased implies thermal
softening of the material. According to the temperature
measurement obtained from the LAM process (given in
Fig. 4), the temperature on the cutting surface exceeded
850 1C in each case, ensuring that the laser power was
providing sufficient energy for the workpiece to reach
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
460 C.-W. Chang, C.-P. Kuo / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 47 (2007) 452–461

Fig. 11. Optical micrographs of the workpiece surface during: (a) conventional machining; and (b) LAM.

model the system of laser energy heat conduction. Here,

the LBM is used to calculate the surface temperature
variation and the temperature distribution within the
aluminum oxide ceramic workpiece caused by laser
heating. The numerical results from this method agree
well with the actual measurements. Specifically, the LBM
gave physically reasonable results through calculation of
the heat flux directly from the microscopic view of energy
distribution without any need for equilibrium conditions.
Therefore, LBM is clearly appropriate for calculating and
predicting the temperature distribution of difficult-to-
machine materials during the LAM process.

Fig. 12. Optical micrographs of tool wear on the rake for LAM planning.
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Fig. 13. Optical micrographs of tool wear on the flank for LAM planning.
glass-transition temperature and so be machined success-
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In addition to a numerical scheme for the lattice
Boltzmann equation with a source term, this paper
developed an extended lattice Boltzmann equation to
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