Fiber laser cutting: The use of carbon-filled acrylic as a qualitative and quantitative analysis tool

The use of carbon-filled black acrylic (CFBA) as a quantitative and qualitative analytical tool for fiber laser cutting is investigated. In the qualitative work, CFBA targets placed below the laser cutting zone when cutting stainless steel showed a distinctive ""leaf"" shaped evaporation crater which can provide information about the nature of the reflections taking place in the cut zone. Quantitative measurements have revealed a specific evaporation energy of 3.4 J/mm3 for CFBA. However, this figure is only applicable when considering intense beams when the CFBA target is stationary with respect to the laser beam.