Dynamic beam shaping requirements for fiber laser cutting of thick plates

A significant improvement in laser cutting productivity and quality can be achieved using dynamic beam shaping (DBS). However, the broad potential of improving the cutting performance of thick plates by employing DBS has not been fully explored. This paper uses an extensive experimental campaign to evaluate laser cutting results using DBS for different industrially relevant materials and thicknesses. Moreover, optimum amplitude and frequency for different material-thickness combinations regarding maximum achievable cutting speed are investigated. In addition, the effects of changing DBS parameters on dross, roughness, heat-affected zone, and kerf area are explored and correlated to the material removal mechanism. Finally, the laser cutting performance using DBS is compared with static beam cutting applied on higher laser powers. The results demonstrate that the performance of a 4 kW laser cutting machine reinforced by DBS is higher than a 6 kW laser cutting machine with a static beam strategy (SBS) when cutting thick plates.