Melt flow in narrow thick section kerfs

Despite substantial experimental effort, the meltflow in kerfs is still poorly understood. The ability to expel the melt effectively is severely limiting process performance and cost, especially in narrow thick sections cutting. Various hypotheses exist in the current literature but conclusive proof is still elusive. In order to further the understanding, coupled gas-dynamics/melt-flow interaction simulations were performed. Phenomena observed in the simulations match microstructural features found in optical micrographs, taken from cross sections coplanar to the workpiece surface. Simulation results and an outlook on the future development of simulation capabilities will be presented.Despite substantial experimental effort, the meltflow in kerfs is still poorly understood. The ability to expel the melt effectively is severely limiting process performance and cost, especially in narrow thick sections cutting. Various hypotheses exist in the current literature but conclusive proof is still elusive. In order to further the understanding, coupled gas-dynamics/melt-flow interaction simulations were performed. Phenomena observed in the simulations match microstructural features found in optical micrographs, taken from cross sections coplanar to the workpiece surface. Simulation results and an outlook on the future development of simulation capabilities will be presented.