Title: Measurement of acoustic emission and deformations in laser cutting of deep-drawn sheet parts

Authors: Janez Marko Slabe, Tomaz Kek, Janez Grum

Addresses: Public Agency for Technology of the Republic of Slovenia, Maurerjeva 29, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: The paper treats the results obtained in simultaneous measurements of Acoustic Emission (AE) with PZT AE sensors and of deformations with resistance measuring rosettes carried out during and immediately after laser cutting-out of a deep-drawn sheet product, i.e., mudguard. A goal of the study presented in this paper was primarily to analyse the sources of AE present during and immediately after laser cutting. It was found that the main source of AE during laser cutting was the cutting gas jet. The |true| AE occurring during the laser-cutting process and immediately after cutting of the mudguard is related to the release of the residual stresses present in the deep-drawn sheet product and to the processes in material generated by the absorbed laser light. The energy of the AE signals recorded during the cutting process and immediately after cutting, the number of AE hits detected by individual sensor in a unit of time and their cumulative value indicate a connection with the phenomena in the material which may after further investigation enable optimisation of the laser-cutting technology, including the selection of the cutting conditions.

Keywords: acoustic emission; AE; deformation; laser cutting; nondestructive testing; NDT; deep drawing; mudguard cutting; optimisation; cutting conditions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2006.011653

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2006 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.383 - 396

Published online: 07 Dec 2006 *

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