Investigation of Parametric Influences During the Cutting of Contours in 6061-T6 Aluminium Alloy Sheet Using a Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser
P. Joshi and A. Sharma
To create complex geometries in the reflective sheet metals with close tolerances and high precision, the shorter wavelength laser is advised for cutting. This paper presents the modelling and optimization of dimensional accuracy and metallurgical aspects of kerf during pulsed Nd:YAG laser cutting of age hardened and heat treated 6061-T6 aluminium alloy sheet along the straight and curved profiles. Lamp current, pulse width, pulse frequency and cutting speed are considered as laser cutting parameters for the investigation. In the study experiments have been conducted using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and the experimental results have been used for developing the statistical models and optimizing the responses using response surface methodology (RSM), in particular regression analysis (RA) and Grey relational analysis (GRA), respectively. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been carried out to find the significance of each cutting parameter for the process. From the analysis of the results, pulse width has been found as the most significant parameter for profile cutting. The parametric influences have been carried out using response surface plots.
Keywords: Nd:YAG laser, 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, sheet metal, laser cutting, profile cutting, Box-Behnken design (BBD), optimization, response surface methodology (RSM), regression analysis (RA), Grey relational analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA)