Parametric analysis and optimization for laser cutting of aerial materials

Abstract

From the beginning aluminum alloys and Ni-based superalloys have the massive applications in the aerospace industry due to their exceptional mechanical properties and especially high strength-to-weight ratio. Al-alloys have been the primary aerial materials for fabricating the airframe structure for more than 75 years due to their well known mechanical behavior, good formability, good corrosion resistance, ease to design and non-toxic. However, Ni-based superalloys are the alloys they maintain their hardness, strength, corrosion resistance and chemical stability at the elevated temperatures. Due to these properties, they are marked as most appropriate materials for various components of aeroengine. Nickel superalloys are used in general for fabrication industries but the sheet form of this superalloy is particularly used for turbochargers, jet engine casings, turbine blades and other parts of aircraft. Cutting of complex geometries in these aerial materials with close tolerances and precision in the cut results restricts the use of conventional method of sheet cutting processes. newlineConventional sheet cutting process such as power press shear cutting and electric arc or gas cutting are not sufficient to achieve the exceptional good quality in the sheetmetal. In addition to these, they produce the impacts on both desired part and press resulting in damages of the punch and die as well as the delicate shape of the required part get deformed. Thermal energy based process causes thermal stresses in the sheetmetal and the heat sensitive material may damage due to excess heating. Hence, some new processes are required to cut aerospace sheetmetals. Among the existing advanced methods of sheet cutting, laser beam cutting (LBC) is the most suitable method to cut intricate geometries with high accuracy and precision in any sheet material of any hardness. newlineLBC is a non-contact type advanced process of sheet cutting where intense beam energy of light is used to heat the sheetmetal surface. When the temperature approaches to