Cutting of ceramic plates by optical fiber guided Nd:YAG laser

Advanced ceramics have excellent resistance to heat, wear, and corrosion and are used in many industrial applications were these properties are required. However, the high hardness and brittleness of ceramics make them difficult and expensive to machine by conventional manufacturing methods. In this article we present the results of the work carried out to analyze qualitatively the influence of some parameters such as the cutting speed and the assist gas pressure on the laser cutting of mullite-alumina plates. The experiments were performed with a 500 W pulsed Nd:YAG laser coupled to an optical fiber and a commercial cutting head. An inert gas (Ar) was used as assist gas, which was injected to the workpiece through a coaxial conical nozzle. Mullite-alumina plates having a thickness of 4 mm were cut at a maximum cutting speed of 5 mm/s. The results obtained demonstrate that the pulsed Nd:YAG laser connected to an optical fiber is a feasible and flexible tool for a successful cutting of components made of mullite alumina.