Dual-beam CO2 laser cutting of thick metallic materials

A dual-beam technique involving two CO₂ gas lasers with a power capacity of 1.5 kW each, was used to cut steel and superalloy. A comparison with single-beam CO₂ laser cutting showed that dual beams were capable of enhancing the cutting thickness and speed without deteriorating the quality of cut. Heat-conduction models, assuming the laser beams as line sources, were used to estimate the cutting thickness and speed as a function of distance between the two laser beams. Experimental data, coupled with theoretical modelling, have provided a new concept, namely stretching the width of the laser beam in the direction of cutting to cut thicker section solids at moderate speeds.