Experimental Investigations of CO2 Laser Cutting of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

The objective of this investigation is to examine the behavior of laser cutting on sheets of unsaturated polyester reinforced with glass fibers (GFRUP) and to optimize the parameters of laser cutting in order to achieve greater efficiency and precision. The experiments utilized a CO2 laser cutting machine with a power output of 130 kW. The study examined three process parameters, namely laser power at three levels of 60, 65, and 70 W, cutting speed at three levels of 5, 7, and 9 mm/s, and focal positions at 6, 8, and 10 mm. The highest kerf taper angle was observed under the conditions of 70 W power, focal position 6 mm and a cutting speed of 5 mm/s. Conversely, the lowest kerf taper angle of 0.21 was attained at 65 W power, focal position 8 mm and a cutting speed of 9 mm/s. The results of this study offer significant contributions to the understanding of the laser cutting characteristics of GFRUP and aid in the enhancement of the laser cutting procedure for this particular composite material.