Modelling of the Remote Fusion Cutting Process Based on Experiments

Remote fusion cutting (RFC) is an interesting industrial process compared to traditional laser cutting. It is because traditional laser cutting is limiting travel speed and accessibility due to the required positioning of the cutting head just above the workpiece for providing a cutting gas pressure. For RFC this pressure is created by the vapor, which is formed when the laser beam evaporates the cut material. The drawback of RFC compared to traditional laser cutting is a worse cut quality, wide cut kerf and a slower travel speed. The contribution of this paper is an experimental investigation, which determined the process window for RFC in stainless steel with a single mode fiber laser. The process variables: travel speed, focus position, power and sheet thickness were investigated. Based on the results of the experiments and process knowledge the aim of this work was to determine and describe the most important driving mechanisms for understanding and modelling the RFC process. The purpose is to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms in the process and find the factors, which can improve the performance and also determine the limitations. The validation results show that the developed model of the RFC process gives a similar process window as the experimental results for the tested parameters and variation of travel speed and focus position.