The mechanism of remote cutting of metals by CO2-laser radiation

A thermal model is suggested of remote cutting (without a gas jet) of vertically positioned steel plates by a horizontally moving beam of a CO2 laser. It is based on the assumption of instantaneous removal of melt, when the melt zone size reaches its critical value. The stable cutting region is calculated depending on the cutting speed, laser power, and thickness of specimens. It is shown that the initiation of the cutting operation at limiting parameters is accompanied by instability.