Effect of Laser Beam Machining Process on Stainless Steel Performance Characteristic

Abstract

The impact of Laser Beam Machining ( LBM) process parameters on Surface Roughness (SR) and kerf width during machining is investigated in this work. Stainless Steel is a material that is resistant to corrosion. LBM is a nontraditional machining method in which material is removed by melting and vaporizing metal when a laser beam collides with the metal surface. There are numerous process variables that influence the quality of the LBM-cut machined surface. However, the most essential factors are laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure, nozzle distance, focus length, pulse frequency, and pulse width. SR, Material Removal Rate (MRR), and kerf width and heat affected zone are significant performance indicators in LBM. The influence of LBM process parameters on SR and kerf width while machining stainless steel material is investigated in this study. Experiments are carried out using the L27 orthogonal array by varying laser power, cutting speed, and assisting gas pressure for stainless steel SS 304 material. The results revealed that the assist gas pressure and laser power are the most important factors influencing SR and kerf width, respectively, whereas cutting speed has a considerably smaller impact.