Search

Laser beams can be used in many industrial applications including machining whereby it constitutes an alternative to traditional material removal techniques and can be used to process a variety of materials including metals, ceramics, glass, plastics, and composites. Laser machining is characterized by a number of advantages such as absence of tool wear, tool breakage, chatter, machine deflection and mechanically induced material damage, phenomena which are usually associated with traditional machining processes. However, as with all manufacturing processes, optimum operating parameters have to be determined. These include the laser power, the spot size of the focused laser beam, etc. In order to arrive at a set of optimum setting variables, either experiments can be conducted and optimum conditions can be found based on the results, or a process model can be created and evaluated for the selection of setting variables, which will optimize the desired performance measures. Analytical and numerical modeling have contributed to the understanding of laser processing, but there are still many questions to be answered. This paper attempts to give an overview of laser machining modeling and experimentation techniques, elucidating recent developments and research trends. more...

The term of 3D laser processing has been used so far to describe a group of different three-dimensional laser processing concepts. At each of these concepts the 3D aspect refers to a different manipulation of one or more laser beams, as to process and/or produce three-dimensional geometries by performing material removal, welding or heat treating. The most important concepts are focused mainly in laser machining and laser welding processes by incorporating one or two laser beams simultaneously. This paper overviews a number of these concepts that have been developed in research or industrial level, along with their advantages, drawbacks and fields of application. more...