Experimental investigations on fusion cutting stainless steel with fiber and CO2 laser beams

First results of an experimental study on inert-gas fusion cutting stainless steel with different types of laser are presented. In particular, the cutting capabilities of a fiber and a CO2 laser beam with similar Rayleigh length have been compared as a function of material thickness with respect to achievable maximum cutting speed, cut edge surface roughness and cut kerf geometry. The most interesting finding achieved so far concerns the observation that the cut kerfs are nearly identical in size but differ qualitatively in shape for both laser types.