Theory of cutting materials with a laser beam

In strict three-dimensional statement the article investigates the steady and nonsteady problems of the shape and depth of cut originating on the surface of material under the effect of a powerful laser beam in dependence on the speed of the specimen, the direction of the beam, the power and polarization of the radiation. The known local approximation is used where the energy of destruction of unit volume is taken to be constant. The theoretical results are compared with known experimental data.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 2, pp. 56–62, February, 1991.