LASER BEAM MACHINING

Emmadi Sai Pavan-19Q91A0370

 Laser beam machining process
•Laser beam machining process uses highly coherent light source.

•This beam can be focused by means of a lens on a very small

spot in the work piece.

•The high power radiation of laser gives rise to high temperature

on a small area of work piece. This initiates the cutting process in
the work material.

•The equipment consists of ruby crystal placed inside a flash lamp.

The flash lamp is used to produce high intensity light rays.
• The ruby crystal is thus simulated and this produces
highly spatial laser beam. When the rays hit the work
surface it causes partial or complete vaporization of
surface material.
 CHARACTERISTICS

• Laser Beam Machining (LBM) is thermal processes considering

the mechanisms of material removal.
• Laser Beam Machining or more broadly laser material processing
deals with machining and material processing like heat treatment,
alloying, cladding, sheet metal bending.
• Laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation.
• As laser interacts with the material, the energy of the photon is
absorbed by the work material leading to rapid substantial rise in
local temperature. This in turn results in melting and vaporisation
of the work material and finally material removal.
 VERSATILITY

• Laser can be used in wide range of manufacturing

applications
• Material removal – drilling, cutting and tre-panning
• Welding
• Cladding
• Alloying

• Drilling micro-sized holes using laser in difficult to machine

materials is the most dominant application in industry.
• In laser drilling the laser beam is focused over the desired
spot size. For thin sheets pulse laser can be used. For
thicker ones continuous laser may be used.
 Method used in laser cutting

• vaporization
• melt and blow
• melt blow and burn
• thermal stress cracking
• scribing
• cold cutting
• burning stabilized laser cutting
 Laser Beam welding

• LBW is a versatile process, capable of welding carbon

steels, HSLA steels, stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium
• The weld quality is high. 
Products made by LBM
 Merits
Easier work holding
Reduced contamination of work piece
Reduced chance of warping the material that is
being cut
High precision (more precise and using less energy
when cutting sheet metal compared to plasma
machining)
 Demerits

 Consume electricity (eg. A typical 1500-watt

CO2 laser will have a running cost in the region of
£10 - £20 per hour.)
 High initial capital cost
 High maintenance cost
 High purity gas (for the laser generating chamber)
 Limited thickness of sheet metal can cut out
compared to plasma machining
 Presence of Heat Affected Zone – specially in gas
assist CO2 laser cutting
 Thermal process – not suitable for heat sensitive
materials like aluminium glass fibre laminate
 CHARACTERISTICS

• Material removal technique:

Heating, Melting and Vaporisation.
• Work material:
All materials except those having high
thermal conductivity and high reflectivity.
• Tool:
Laser beam in wavelength range of 0.3 to 0.6µm.
• Power density:
Max 107 W/mm2.
• Output energy of laser : 20J

• Pulse duration : One millisecond

• Material removal rate : 6 mm3/min

• Dimensional accuracy : ± 0.025mm

• Medium : Atmosphere

• Specific power consumption:1000W/mm3/min

• Efficiency : 10 to 15%
THANK YOU!