INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF PROCESS PARAMETERS IN CO2 LASER CUTTING OF PMMA MATERIAL BY RESPONSE SURFACE METHOD

Abstract

Recently, the studies on lightweighting have gained significant importance due to requirements such as energy efficiency and sustainability. Polymer materials are a group of materials that are frequently used for this purpose. This study investigated the effects of laser power, cutting speed and focal point on the kerf width, which are the most effective process parameters in laser cutting of Polymethylmethacrylate, a low-cost polymer material, using Response Surface Methodology and ANOVA. The results obtained from the data analysis show that the kerf width is seriously affected by the focal point depth as well as the speed and power.