Multiple quality optimization in laser cutting of difficult-to-laser-cut material using grey–fuzzy methodology

This paper investigates the laser cutting performance of 1 mm Duralumin sheet with the aim to improve quality of cut by simultaneously optimising multiple performances such as cut edge surface roughness, kerf taper and kerf width. The experimental data obtained by Taguchi methodology-based L₂₇ orthogonal array experimentation have been used in the hybrid approach optimization of grey relational analysis and fuzzy logic theory. The predicted optimum results have been verified by conducting confirmation experiments. The verification results show an overall improvement of 19 % in multiple quality characteristics. The effects of significant factors on quality characteristics have also been discussed.     

An integrated evolutionary approach for modelling and optimization of laser beam cutting process

This paper presents a new integrated methodology based on evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to model and optimize the laser beam cutting process. The proposed study is divided into two parts. Firstly, genetic programming (GP) approach is used for empirical modelling of kerf width (Kw) and material removal rate (MRR) which are the important performance measures of the laser beam cutting process. GP, being an extension of the more familiar genetic algorithms, recently has evolved as a powerful optimization tool for nonlinear modelling resulting in credible and accurate models. Design of experiments is used to conduct the experiments. Four prominent variables such as pulse frequency, pulse width, cutting speed and pulse energy are taken into consideration. The developed models are used to study the effect of laser cutting parameters on the chosen process performances. As the output parameters Kw and MRR are mutually conflicting in nature, in the second part of the study, they are simultaneously optimized by using a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm called non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II. The Pareto optimal solutions of parameter settings have been reported that provide the decision maker an elaborate picture for making the optimal decisions. The work presents a full-fledged evolutionary approach for optimization of the process.     

Parametric optimization for surface roughness, kerf and MRR in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) using Taguchi design of experiment

This paper reports the effect and optimization of eight control factors on material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness and kerf in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process for tool steel D2. The experimentation is performed under different cutting conditions of wire feed velocity, dielectric pressure, pulse on-time, pulse off-time, open voltage, wire tension and servo voltage by varying the material thickness. Taguchi’s L18 orthogonal array is employed for experimental design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and signal-tonoise (S/N) ratio are used as statistical analyses to identify the significant control factors and to achieve optimum levels respectively. Additionally, linear regression and additive models are developed for surface roughness, kerf and material removal rate (MRR). Results of the confirmatory experiments are found to be in good agreement with those predicted. It has been found that pulse on-time is the most significant factor affecting the surface roughness, kerf and material removal rate.     

Investigating material removal rate and surface roughness using multi-objective optimization for focused ion beam (FIB) micro-milling of cemented carbide

Cemented carbide has been investigated as a useful material for the fabrication of micro devices. Focused ion beam (FIB) micro-milling has been found to be one of the most appropriate methods for the fabrication of micro devices. The experimental FIB micro-milling on cemented carbide have been conducted according to the L₁₆ orthogonal array of Taguchi technique. Beam current, extraction voltage, angle of beam incidence, dwell time and percentage overlap between beam diameters have been considered as process variables of FIB micro-milling in experimental design. Material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness have been determined experimentally for FIB micro-milling of cemented carbide and beam current has been identified as the most significant parameter. The minimum surface roughness of 5.6 nm has been reported on cemented carbide, which is not a usual practice to achieve on such polycrystalline material, and hence it may be considered as a significant research contribution. Maximum MRR of 0.4836 μm³/s has been reported. Moreover, genetic algorithm toolbox of MATLAB has been utilized for multi-objective optimization between MRR and surface roughness. The corresponding optimum values of MRR and surface roughness for multi-objective optimization have been represented by pareto optimum solution generated by genetic algorithm. The research work presented in this paper determines the setting of process parameters of FIB micro-milling for achieving a specific combination of MRR and surface roughness on cemented carbide.     

Modeling and optimization of kerf taper and surface roughness in laser cutting of titanium alloy sheet

Laser cutting of titanium and its alloys is difficult due to it’s poor thermal conductivity and chemical reactivity at elevated temperatures. But demand of these materials in different advanced industries such as aircraft, automobile and space research, require accurate geometry with high surface quality. The present research investigates the laser cutting process behavior of titanium alloy sheet (Ti-6Al-4V) with the aim to improve geometrical accuracy and surface quality by minimizing the kerf taper and surface roughness. The data obtained from L₂₇ orthogonal array experiments have been used for developing neural network (NN) based models of kerf taper and surface roughness. A hybrid approach of neural network and genetic algorithm has been proposed and applied for the optimization of different quality characteristics. The optimization results show considerable improvements in both the quality characteristics. The results predicted by NN models are well in agreement with the experimental data.     

Optimization of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process parameters using Taguchi method

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is extensively used in machining of conductive materials when precision is of prime importance. Rough cutting operation in WEDM is treated as a challenging one because improvement of more than one machining performance measures viz. metal removal rate (MRR), surface finish (SF) and cutting width (kerf) are sought to obtain a precision work. Using Taguchi’s parameter design, significant machining parameters affecting the performance measures are identified as discharge current, pulse duration, pulse frequency, wire speed, wire tension, and dielectric flow. It has been observed that a combination of factors for optimization of each performance measure is different. In this study, the relationship between control factors and responses like MRR, SF and kerf are established by means of nonlinear regression analysis, resulting in a valid mathematical model. Finally, genetic algorithm, a popular evolutionary approach, is employed to optimize the wire electrical discharge machining process with multiple objectives. The study demonstrates that the WEDM process parameters can be adjusted to achieve better metal removal rate, surface finish and cutting width simultaneously.     

Experimental investigation and prediction of optimum process parameters of micro-wire-cut EDM of 2205 DSS

Micro-wire-cut electrode discharge machining (EDM) is an emerging manufacturing process in the field of micro-manufacturing to fabricate the complex profiles of micro-components. It is a complex process involving various process parameters such as pulse on time, pulse off time, wire speed, wire tension and current. In addition to micro-fabrication, this process can also be extended in the field of tool design and developments such as dies, moulds, precision manufacturing, contour cutting, etc., where complex shapes need to be generated with high-grade dimensional accuracy and surface finish. In this research work, an attempt is made to investigate the effect of process parameters on the output variables such as material removal rate (MRR), surface finish and the cutting width (kerf) of wire-cut EDM for duplex stainless steel (DSS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to capture the images of the kerf width, and the measurements are taken with the help of the welding expert system and software. An optimization technique (Taguchi method) has been employed to identify the optimum parameters of the micro-wire-cut EDM process for cutting 2205 grade duplex stainless steel. The effect of each control parameter on the performance measure is studied individually using the plots of signal to noise ratio.     

Parametric studies on the CO2 laser cutting of Kevlar-49 composite

In the present study, the cutting performance of a CO₂ laser on Kevlar-49 composite materials has been studied. The Taguchi technique is employed to identify the effect of laser control parameters, i.e., laser power, cutting speed, material thickness, assistance gas pressure, and laser mode, on the quality of cut parameters, namely, kerf width, dross height, and slope of the cut. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio response tables, the significant parameters and the optimal combination levels of cutting parameters are determined. The obtained results are interpreted and modeled to closely understand the behavior and quality of CO₂ laser cutting. Kevlar-49 composites are found to be cut satisfactorily by the CO₂ laser at the optimum process parameter ranges. The results showed that laser power is the most significant parameter affecting the quality of cut parameters. The optimal combination of cutting parameters minimized the kerf width, dross height, and slope of cut to 0.103 mm, 0.101 mm, and 2.06°, respectively. The error between experimental results with optimum settings and the predicted values for the kerf width, dross height, and slope of cut lie within 2.9%, 7.92%, and 6.3%, respectively.     

A key parameter to characterize the kerf profile error generated by abrasive water-jet

As the only cold high-energy beam machining technology, abrasive water-jet (AWJ) is one of the most rapidly developed techniques in material manufacturing industry. However, the application of AWJ is limited by the cutting accuracy it can achieve. Kerf profile generated by AWJ is different as the cutting parameters change. As a result, it has become a major factor which affects the cutting accuracy when AWJ is used as a machining tool. Researchers used taper error to characterize kerf profile error generated by AWJ in the past years. And many efforts have been put on how to eliminate taper error by using a tilting cutting head of a 5-axis AWJ machine. However, using taper error to characterize the kerf profile error generated by AWJ is not accurate since kerf profile error might appear in different styles. And using a 5-axis AWJ machine to eliminate taper error is only effective in some special cases. To effectively eliminate taper error, the first thing needs to do is to find out whether the kerf profile error can be compensated or not. Based on research, a key parameter, named kerf profile coefficient O, which can be used to characterize kerf profile error and further to guide people to use different ways to compensate kerf profile error, has been defined in this paper. To further illustrate the efficiency of this coefficient, a series of cutting experiments have been carried out and the experimental results have been discussed.     

Cutting thin sheet metal with a water jet guided laser using various cutting distances, feed speeds and angles of incidence

This research deals with the cutting of thin sheet metals at various distances, feed speeds and angles of incidence using a water jet guided laser. In the water jet guided laser process a laser beam is focused into a jet of water, which transmits the beam to the workpiece. This eliminates the need for any focus control. Nevertheless, most of its applications are in planar cutting where this advantage is not utilized. For the laser parameters, jet pressure and diameter in question, the value of 50 mm was found to be a fairly reliable upper limit to the cutting distance for both normal and inclined surfaces. In addition to the laser beam being absorbed partially by the water jet, the jet was found to be susceptible to disturbances. Specimen vibration caused by the water jet also impeded cutting a continuous kerf.     

碳纤维增强复合材料水导激光切割试验研究

采用正交试验方法对影响水导激光切割碳纤维增强复合材料（CFRP）的关键工艺参数进行了深入研究,得出了进给速度、水射流速度、脉冲频率和激光功率对切割CFRP的影响规律,并用直接对比法和极差分析法所得最优参数进行单次划槽切割对比。研究结果表明：在极差分析法所得最优参数下切割CFRP时,切缝深度增大3.2%、切缝宽度减小9.2%、切缝锥度减小11.8%、线粗糙度减小40.2%。通过与干式激光加工方法对比发现,水导激光加工技术在切割CFRP方面优势明显,由于水射流的冲刷和冷却作用,材料切割表面几乎无热影响区和纤维拔出。另外,采用正交试验所得最优工艺参数实现了4 mm厚度CFRP的无锥度切割。     

An Experimental Analysis and Optimisation of the CO2 Laser Cutting Process for Metallic Coated Sheet Steels

An experimental investigation is presented which analyses the CO2 laser cutting process for difficult-to-cut metallic coated sheet steels, which are called GALVABOND. It shows that by proper control of the cutting parameters, good quality cuts are possible at high cutting rates. Plausible trends of the energy efficiency (percentage of energy used in cutting) with respect to the various process parameters are analysed. Visual examination indicates that when increasing the cutting rate to up to 5000 mm min⁻¹ , kerfs of better quality than those produced using the parameters suggested in an early study can be achieved. Some kerf characteristics such as the width, heat affected zone and dross, in terms of the process parameters are also discussed. A statistical analysis has arrived at the relationships between the cutting speed, laser power and workpiece thickness, from which a recommendation is made for the selection of optimum cutting parameters for processing GALVABOND material.     

不锈钢板的CO2激光切割工艺研究

实验用CO2激光切割厚0.8mm的1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢板。研究了激光功率、辅助气体类型及压力、切割速度对切割质量的影响。实验显示提高切割速度能降低切缝宽度和切口横截面的表面粗糙度;而提高激光功率和氧气压力,切缝宽度也会随之提高,切口横截面更粗糙。功率650~700W、氧气压力0.3~0.5MPa、切割速度3.5~4.5m/min时切割质量最好。另外发现功率在780~1450W,氮气压力低于0.8MPa不能得到良好的切割质量。     

FUZZY EXPERT SYSTEM FOR PREDICTION OF KERF QUALITIES IN PULSED LASER CUTTING OF TITANIUM ALLOY SHEET

Laser cutting is an advanced thermal cutting process of complex nature. It's process behavior drastically changes with slight variation in processing conditions. The prediction of process performance becomes more difficult if cutting materials have non-favorable optical and thermal properties. Titanium (Ti) alloys are characterized by their low thermal conductivity and high chemical reactivity at elevated temperature and hence difficult to cut by laser. It has been found that complex and nonlinear behavior of manufacturing process can better be dealt with the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The aim of present research is to develop a fuzzy expert system for prediction of the laser cutting process behavior of Ti alloy (Ti-6Al-4 V) sheet. A hybrid approach of neural network and fuzzy logic theory has been applied to develop the fuzzy expert system to predict the kerf widths and kerf deviation. The predicted results have been compared with the experimental data and found appropriate. The effects of significant process parameters on the different quality characteristics such as kerf widths and kerf deviation have been discussed.     

Studies on Recharging of Abrasives in Abrasive Water Jet Machining

The objective of this work is to find the effect of the recharging of local garnet abrasives (origin: southern India) while cutting aluminium using abrasive water jet machining. The influence of the specially formulated optimised abrasive test sample, pressure, traverse rate, and abrasive flowrate, on the American Foundrymen’s Society fineness number, depth of cut, top and bottom kerf width, kerf taper, and surface roughness are studied. The performance of the test sample has been compared with that of commercial grade abrasive with mesh size 80. Additionally, recharging studies are carried out after screening out particles of less than 90 μm. These tests help to determine the optimum recharging required.     

Optimization of cutting conditions of YG15 on rough and finish cutting in WEDM based on statistical analyses

In this paper, the effects and the optimization of cutting parameters on surface roughness (Ra) and material removal rate (MRR) in the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of high hardness tool steel YG15 are analyzed. In the WEDM process, the key process parameters, such as pulse-on time, pulse-off time, power, cutting feed rate, wire tension, wire speed, and water pressure, are optimized. Experimental data were initially collected based on the Taguchi method of experimental design, which are $L_{18}\left (2^1\times 3^5\right )$ and $L_{18}\left (2^1\times 3^4\right )$ Taguchi standard orthogonal array on rough and finish cutting experiments, respectively. The level of importance of the cutting parameters on the Ra and MRR was determined on both finish and rough cutting by using statistical analyses; average gap voltage is discussed in order to balance cutting efficiency and stability on both finish and rough cutting. In addition, comparative analysis of finish and rough cutting is drawn to analyze the difference between rough cutting and finish cutting. Then, regression models and signal-to-noise ratio are used to obtain the optimum cutting parameter combination. Finally, the results present the optimized MRR and Ra of the rough and finish process, respectively, and confirm the efficiency and abilities of the model.     

Experimental investigation and performance analysis of cemented carbide inserts of different geometries using Taguchi based grey relational analysis

In this work, effect of machining parameters cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut, geometrical parameters cutting insert shape, relief angle and nose radius were investigated and optimized using Taguchi based grey relational analysis. 18 ISO designated uncoated cemented carbide inserts of different geometries were used to turn practically used automotive axles to study the influence of variation in carbide inserts geometry. Performance measures viz., flank wear, surface roughness and material removal rate (MRR) were optimized using grey relational grade, based on the experiments designed using Taguchi’s Design of Experiments (DoE). A weighted grey relational grade is calculated to minimize flank wear and surface roughness and to maximize MRR. Analysis of variance shows that cutting insert shape is the prominent parameter followed by feed rate and depth of cut that contributes towards output responses. An experiment conducted with identified optimum condition shows a lower flank wear and surface roughness with higher MRR. The confirmation results obtained are confirmed by calculating confidence interval, which lies within the width of the interval.     

磨料水射流二次逆向切割对断面质量的提升研究

针对磨料水射流切割过程中存在的拖尾余纹、切缝锥度和切割留尾问题，基于磨料水射流切割理论，设计了3组不同因素组合下的单次正向切割、单次1/2速度正向切割和二次逆向切割试验，探讨了3种不同切割方式下的断面形貌产生机理，并对试验结果进行对比分析。结果表明，二次逆向切割可降低表面粗糙度约52%~85%，可降低切缝锥度约66%~72%，同时可消除切割留尾。因此，高压磨料水射流采用二次逆向切割的方式可以显著提高磨料水射流切割工件的断面质量。     

Competitive parameter optimization of multi-quality CNC turning

Surface roughness, tool wear, and material removal rate (MRR) are major intentions in the modern computer numerical controlled (CNC) machining industry. In this paper, the ${\text{L}}_9 \left( {3^4 } \right)$ orthogonal array of a Taguchi experiment is selected for four parameters (cutting depth, feed rate, speed, and tool nose runoff) with three levels (low, medium, and high) in optimizing the finish turning parameters on an ECOCA-3807 CNC lathe. The surface roughness (R_a) and tool wear ratio (mm^?2) are primarily observed as independent objectives for developing two combinations of optimum single-objective cutting parameters. Additionally, the levels of competitive orthogonal array are then proposed between the two parameter sets. Therefore, the optimum competitive multi-quality cutting parameters can then be achieved. Through the machining results of the CNC lathe, it is shown that both tool wear ratio and MRR from our optimum competitive parameters are greatly advanced with a minor decrease in the surface roughness in comparison to those of benchmark parameters. This paper not only proposes a competitive optimization approach using orthogonal array, but also contributes a satisfactory technique for multiple CNC turning objectives with profound insight.     

Finite element analysis of laser inert gas cutting on Inconel 718

Inconel 718 has high strength, which makes it difficult to cut using conventional cutting methods. In the present study, the laser inert gas cutting of Inconel 718 was simulated by finite element analysis software ANSYS. Finite element method was used to predict thermal stress and kerf width formation during the laser cutting process. ANSYS Parameter Design Language was used to model the Gaussian-distributed heat flux from the laser beam acting on the workpiece. The removal of melted material during laser cutting to form the kerf width was modeled by employing the element death methodology in ANSYS. In addition, laser cutting was simulated at continuous wave (CW) and the effects of laser power and cutting speed on kerf width were investigated. A series of experiments were carried out to verify the predictions. The temperature fields on the workpiece were measured using thermocouples. The kerf width size was measured using a profile projector, whereas the metallurgical and morphological changes at the cutting edge were examined using scanning electron microscopy. A good correlation was found between the simulation and experimental results.