Scaling laws for the laser-oxygen cutting of thick-sheet mild steel

Abstract The laws of scaling the laser-oxygen cutting of mild steel based on experimental optimization are proposed. The sheets from 5 to 25 mm are cut with the aid of CO 2 laser. It has been established that the minimal surface roughness is reached within the whole thickness range if the laser energy value per unit of the removed material and the power per sheet thickness unit are held constant. The results permit to determine the laser power and cutting speed values optimal for a certain sheet thickness. Within the range of large thicknesses, the conditions of cutting with minimal roughness are written as ratios between dimensionless variables. Evaluation of the maximum thickness of the sheet, at which the high-quality cutting is realizable, has been made.