Experimental investigation of the effect of the laser beam polarization state on the quality of steel sheet cutting

Abstract

Abstract. The paper presents the results of experimental investigation of the effect of the beam polarization on the quality of the oxygen-assisted laser cutting of steel by a СО 2 -laser. Under consideration is the effect of the laser cutting parameters by the beam with the linear polarization on the cut surface roughness. It is founded that the minimal roughness is reached when the electric field vector is perpendicular to the cutting speed vector. It is concluded that the absorbed power distribution imposes the essential influence on the surface quality, and that the radiation heating of side walls is important to have lower roughness. Obtained results enabled to present probable reasons of the worse surface quality of the metals cut by a fiber laser than the ones cut by a СО 2 -laser.