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UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF LOW CARBON STEEL IN LASER

CUTTING

This report submitted in accordance with requirement of the Universiti Teknikal

Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for the Bachelor Degree of Manufacturing Engineering

(Manufacturing Process) with Honours.

by

LUEI HONG KEAT

FACULTY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

2009

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS LAPORAN PROJEK SARJANA MUDA

TAJUK: Surface Modification of Low Carbon Steel in LASER Cutting

SESI PENGAJIAN: 2008/09 Semester 2

Saya LUEI HONG KEAT

mengaku membenarkan Laporan PSM ini disimpan di Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:

1. Laporan PSM adalah hak milik Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dan penulis. 2. Perpustakaan Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka dibenarkan membuat salinan

untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja dengan izin penulis. 3. Perpustakaan dibenarkan membuat salinan laporan PSM ini sebagai bahan

pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.

4. **Sila tandakan (√)

SULIT

TERHAD

TIDAK TERHAD

(Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia yang termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972)

(Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan

oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan)

(TANDATANGAN PENULIS)

Alamat Tetap:

NO. 1 Persiaran Indah Rokam 1,

Taman Sri Rokam,

31350 Ipoh, Perak

Tarikh: _______________________

Disahkan oleh:

(TANDATANGAN PENYELIA)

Cop Rasmi: Tarikh: _______________________

** Jika Laporan PSM ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi berkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh laporan PSM ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai

SULIT atau TERHAD.

DECLARATION

I hereby, declare this report entitled “Surface Modification of Low Carbon Steel in Laser

Cutting” is the result of my own research except as cited in references.

Signature :

Author’s Name : LUEI HONG KEAT

Date : 18th

May 2009

APPROVAL

This report is submitted to the Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering of UTEM as a

partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Manufacturing

Engineering (Manufacturing Process) with Honours. The member of the supervisory

committee is as follow:

…………………………..

i

ABSTRACT

Laser cutting is an advanced machining which becoming important for the industrial

application. The machine can do its jobs faster, more accurate and more complex shape

than other conventional machine and can machine a lot of materials available. The

demand of the modern material with high hardness leads to more difficult for machining,

laser cutting hereby solve the problems of this. In the research, surface modification of

the low carbon steel will be identify and observed after machining. By using sets of

parameters with different cutting speed and laser output power, the impact of this

parameter on the surface of cut will be investigate. Firstly is to do surface roughness test

on the machine surface of each samples. Then the sample will be mounted on epoxy to

be grind and polish, before observation under microscope, the sample undergoes etching.

Finally the cut surface grain structure is observed for microstructure changes of size.

Machine which in used for the experiment will be all located in the laboratory. In the

experiment, roughness test shows that the surface cut with the higher speed will have

higher value of roughness but when the speed is lower it will affect more heat to be

transfer on the material and causing heat affected zone to be increase in the size on the

surface. In other explanation will be the spreading of heat during laser decrease as the

laser beam does not stay longer a location.

ii

ABSTRAK

Pemotong laser merupakan mesin termaju dan semakin menjadi penggunaan yang

penting dalam aplikasi industri. Mesin laser mampu melakukan kerja-kerja pemotongan

dengan lebih cepat, tepat dan boleh memotong bentuk-bentuk yang kompleks

berbanding dengan mesin tradisional. Mesin laser juga dapat memotong pelbagai jenis

bahan yang terdapat di dunia ini. Dengan permintaan bahan yang berkekerasan yang

tinggi akan menyukarkan lagu pemotongan dengan menggunakan mesin tradisional,

dengan kewujudan mesin pemotong laser lalu menyelesaikan masalah ini. Dalam

penyelidikan ini, perubahan dalam permukaan yang dipotong oleh laser pada besi

berkandungan karbon rendah akan dikenalpasti dan diperhatikan selepas pemesinan.

Dengan menggunakan beberapa set parameter berlainan dalam mesin seperti perubahan

kelajuan memotong dan kuasa output laser. Impak pada permukaan dipotong akan dikaji.

Kajian pertama selepas pemesinan ialah ujian kekasaran pada setiap sempel.

Kemudiannya sempel akan disediakan dalam epoxy dan dikilatkan. Sebelum dilihat

melalui mikroskop, sempel akan dicelup dalam larutan nital untuk beberapa saat

sehingga seminit dan dibersih dan dikeringkan. Ujian kekasaran menunjukkan sekiranya

kelajuan laser meningkat akan menyebabkan bacaan kekasaran meningkat. Akan tetapi

melalui gambar dibesarkan dalam mikroskop semakin lambat kelajuan laser akan

menyebabkan HAZ tersebar lebih jauh. Dengan kata lain, sekiranya pancaran laser tidak

berada dalam kawasan dengan lama akan mengurangkan haba mengalir.

iii

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my beloved parents, Luei Heng Bee and Chan

Soo Mooi, without their caring support and the respect for education it

would not have been possible.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract i

Abstrak ii

Dedication iii

Table of Content iv

List of Tables vi

List of Figures viii

List Abbreviations xi

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Problem Statement 3

1.3 Objectives 4

1.4 Scope 4

1.5 Significant of Study 5

2. LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 Introduction to Laser Beam Machining 6

2.1.1 CO2 Laser Cutting 7

2.2 Laser Cutting Parameters 11

2.3 Surface Morphology 16

2.3.1 Laser Cutting 17

2.4 Summary 21

3. METHODOLOGY 22

3.1 Equipment In Used 22

3.2 Material 23

3.2.1 Low Carbon Steel 23

3.2.2 Composition 24

3.2.3 Physical Properties 24

3.2.4 Mechanical Properties 24

3.2.5 Thermal Properties 25

3.3 Flow Chart 25

3.4 Laser Cutting Machine LVD HELIUS 2513 26

3.4.1 Laser Hazard 28

3.5 Surface Roughness Tester Mitutoyo SJ-301 29

v

3.6 Metallographic Specimens Preparation 29

3.6.1 Selection of Specimens 30

3.6.2 Size of the Specimens 30

3.6.3 Cleaning of Specimens 31

3.6.4 Mounting of Specimens 32

3.6.5 Grinding and Polishing 34

3.6.6 Etching 37

3.7 Surface Modification Study 40

3.7.1 Roughness Test 42

3.7.2 Microscopic Examination with Optical Microscopy 42

3.7.3 Microscopic Examination with Electron Microscopy 44

3.8 Summary 45

4. RESULT AND DISCUSSION 46

4.1 Surface Roughness 46

4.2 Microstructure Examination 50

4.2.1 Size of HAZ 51

4.2.2 Microstructure Observation 54

4.3 Summary 63

5. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 64

5.1 Conclusion 64

5.2 Recommendation for Future Study 65

5.3 Summary 66

REFERENCES 67

APPENDICES

A Surface Roughness Result

B Gantt chart for PSM 1

C Gantt chart for PSM 2

vi

LIST OF TABLES

2.1 Type of laser used on metal, plastic and ceramics

(Kalpakjian and Schmid, 2006) 6

2.2 Laser cutting parameters (Yilbas, 1994) 14

3.1 Chemical composition 23

3.2 Density 23

3.3 Mechanical Properties 23

3.4 Thermal Properties 24

3.5 Machine Specification 25

3.6 Parameters for the 4 samples 26

3.7 Mounting Compound 32

3.8 Size range for ANSI/CAMI graded paper 34

3.9 Microetching etchant and procedure (ASTM E407 – 99) 36

3.10 Macroetchant etchant and procedure (ASTM E340 – 00) 38

4.1 Names of samples based on its parameters 45

vii

4.2 Roughness test results 46

4.3 Size of HAZ 52

viii

LIST OF FIGURES

2.1 Gas assists in laser cutting (Radovanic and Dasic, 2006). 9

2.2 Cutting rates for CO2 Laser. 12

2.3 Surface roughness in dependence on sheet thickness

(Radovanic and Dasic, 2006). 13

2.4 Experiment set up (Yilbas, 1994). 14

2.5 Spiral cut (Yilbas, 1994). 15

2.6 Picture and profile of laser cut (Radovanic and Dasic, 2006). 18

2.7 Laser cut surface (Radovanic and Dasic, 2006). 18

2.8 Cross section cut at low speed 2 cm/s, O2 gas pressure 140 kPa

(Yilbas, 1994). 20

2.9 Cross section cut at moderate speed 4 cm/s, O2 gas pressure 140 kPa

(Yilbas, 1994). 20

2.10 Cross section cut at high speed 6 cm/s, O2 gas pressure 140 kPa

(Yilbas, 1994). 20

3.1 Flow chart of experiment. 24

3.2 Laser cutting machine. 26

3.3 Roughness tester. 28

3.4 Method of designing location of area shown in photomicrograph.

(ASTM E3 – 01, 2007). 30

3.5 METKON mounting press. 33

ix

3.6 Grinding machine 34

3.7 Polishing machine 35

3.8 Aluminium Oxide Powder 35

3.9 Flow chart for surface modification study 40

3.10 Normal incident light being reflected by three etched surface grains

by having different orientation each. (Callister, 2005). 42

3.11 Surface structure which might appear when view with microscope; luster

or texture of each grain depends on reflectance properties.

(Callister, 2005). 42

3.12 Section of grain boundary and the surface groove produce when etching.

(Callister, 2005). 42

3.13 Photomicrograph of polycrystalline specimen. (Callister, 2005). 43

4.1 Surface roughness graph. 46

4.2 Laser beam melts and vaporized material, creating a kerf.

(Laser cutting guide for manufacturing, 2003). 48

4.3 Surface of sample S1 after Laser cut. 48



4.6 Surface of sample G after Laser cut. 49

4.7 Size of HAZ 52

4.8 Microstructure of sample S1 etches with 2% Nital. 50X magnification. 53



x

4.11 Microstructure of sample G etches with 2% Nital. 50X magnification. 55

4.12 Iron-carbon phase diagram.

(ASM Handbook Volume 9 Metallography and Microstructure) 56









4.21 Microstructure of sample S1 etches with 2% Nital. 500X Magnification. 61



4.24 Microstructure of sample G etches with 2% Nital. 500X Magnification. 62

A Surface roughness result of sample S1 and S2.

B Surface roughness result of sample S3 and G

xi

LIST OF ABREVIATIONS

AC - Alternative current

CNC - Computer numerical control

CW - Continuous Wave

DC - Direct current

EDM - Electrical discharge machining

HAZ - Heat affected zone

LBM - Laser beam machining

LGAC - Laser generated air contaminant

OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

SEM - Scanning electron microscope

TEM - Transmission Electron Microscope

UV - Ultra-Violet

YAG - Yttrium Aluminium Garnet

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter will briefly explain about the research and what is the current

motivation that brings out the idea to study on the laser beam machining and

machining effect on the workpiece.

1.1 Background

In the world of today, metal working operation is a common process to human being,

but the requirements for high accuracy and precision going higher and higher each

day to enable new possible product is being produce with various kind of geometrical

shape. As the manufacturing tends to become more and more complex, more

technology will be invented and implemented. If there is possibility human tends to

produce machining operation which will not need additional machining process in

order to give a better finishing. The reason behind is to have lower cost in the

production, fewer machining operation or finishing operation will reduce the cost of

product being manufactured. Sometimes there are some circumstances which cause

the manufacturing process to be increase, such as the complexity where one

machining process cannot do all the profile or maybe there is needed to have tools

change whenever removing material of different profile. There are also additional of

time when there is a need of changing tool or even changing of machining processes

which also means change of workstation. When this happens, lead time to the next

process will be increases. Non-traditional machining process created is not only to

fulfilled the reason on increasing performance of certain manufacturing process but

there is a need to taken in account on how the effect of machining processes affect on

2

the workpiece especially when heat generated which there is a high possibility

altering the properties of the material which it used to be. On the second though

material nowadays required on better quality with high hardness, toughness and

impact resistance leads to an increasing of difficulty in cutting this type of material.

But still there is a need on new material being created, which is to suits the current

manufacturing work. Conventional machined unable to cut any material which is

harder than its cutting tool but with existents of modern machining is used such as

electrolytic grinding, supersonic machining, electrical discharging machining (EDM)

and laser cutting have been discover. Laser cutting can produce a very precise and

fine surface but laser cutting do have some differences where laser cutting need to

deburring after the cutting process depends on the surface at the bottom surface will

have melted material cools at the bottom edge. Laser cutting is effective for single

piece, one-of-a-kind operation but also in mass production.

As for this project, the need is to determine any modification occur on a low carbon

steel plate is after going through laser cutting process. As we know that laser cutting

process can be very high precision and accuracy but how far will laser cutting can

bring a machining process to serve its main purpose. The reason for this research is

to determine the change on the cut surface after machining. The equipment which

will be used one will be CO2 Laser Beam Cutting machine (LVD HELIUS 2513) for

plate cutting, Surface roughness tester (Mitutoyo SJ-301) for measuring the surface

roughness, optical microscope (ZEISS Axioskop 2) and others supporting equipment

to assist in the research. Laser cutting machine will be run in optimum preloaded

parameters for the 6mm thick low carbon steel plate material where the parameter is

given by the manufacturer of the machine which ensures that the laser beam can

penetrate the plate to cut. Cut surface of the plate will be examined for its roughness

and then the microstructure changes.

3

1.2 Problems Statement

Laser cutting is non contact machining process, but there is still heat generated out

during the process of cutting material. This mean during machining process, heat

generated will affect structure on the cut surface. Heat generated is very high thus it

must leads to melting of material in order to cut. Cutting gas and assists gas which is

introduced during the cutting process changes in the structure of the material and

there might cause stress in the material as it also do some cooling work. Heat

generated during machining will be cool by gas assist where it directly blown on the

molten material to enable cutting process to be run smoothly. But when there is some

situation where rapid cooling occurs therefore surface of the material being cut might

change, in this experiment the surface modification generated during the machining

process of laser cutting will be study. The changes or the formation of the layer of

different microstructure from the parents’ material will be observed. The reasons on

formation of different structure and the effects on the material is examined and

discussed.

4

1.3 Objectives

The main objectives of this study are as below:

(a) To study the cut surface of low carbon steel after laser cut.

(b) To identify any microstructure changes after machining process.

(c) To study the effect of cutting parameter on surface modification.

1.4 Scope

This research will be carried out within the limitation;

(a) Laser cutting machining used is the CO2 gas assist laser machine at FASA B

to cut the sample of material low carbon steel plate.

(b) Parameters used will be the parameters given from the machine manufacturer

for material 6mm low carbon steel plate.

(c) Numbers of samples which will be prepared will be 4 samples for laser

cutting process. Each sample will be cut using 4 different types of settings for

6mm low carbon steel plate which are the rapid, medium, slow and general

settings.

(d) Microstructure observation will be at the cross-section of the machining

surface. Where revealing the general structure of low carbon steel.

5

1.5 Significant of Study

The significant of study in this research are:

(a) Performance of the CO2 laser cutting will be tested by how the surface

produced by observing on how parameters affect the possibility of the surface

produced.

(b) To find out the formation of the heat affected zone on laser cutting surface

and how it was form by different parameter settings during machining. How

far the heat spread from the cutting surface controlled by the parameter used

in the machining process.

(c) To find out the surface modification by laser cutting process by observing the

microstructure changes between the surface of cut and its parents’ material.

6

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter will discuss about the machine which will be going to be used and also

the experiment which have been done before related to the machine which will be

going to be used. The experiment which will be closely giving hints on how the

experiment will be carried out and what is the precautions will be undertaken.

1.6 Introduction to Laser Beam Machining

Laser-beam machining (LBM) or laser cutting is a machining process using laser

(light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) as its source. This optical

energy highly focuses on the surface of the workpiece, where this high-density

energy source melts and evaporates portions of the workpiece in a controlled manner.

Laser-beam machining does not require vacuum condition in order to operate and it

is able to machine variety of metallic and non-metallic materials. In laser beam

machining the physical parameters which is very important are the reflectivity and

thermal conductivity of the workpiece surface and its specific heat and latent heats of

melting and evaporation. The general types of laser are that has been used on metal,

plastic and ceramics is shown in Table 3.1 below.

Table 2.1: Type of laser used on metal, plastic and ceramics (Kalpakjian and Schmid, 2006).

Cutting Application Laser Type

Metals PCO2, CWCO2, Nd: YAG, ruby

Plastics CWCO2

Ceramics PCO2

7

Laser Beam Machining is a non-traditional machining process where the way it

removes material is by melting or known as thermally modifies a material by

focusing a coherent beam of monochromatic light on the workpiece. The process

carry out does not involve mass material removal but in a very rapid material

removal in an easily controlled, non-contact, non-wearing tool. LBM can used in

variety of metal processing function such as drilling, welding, marking and heat

treating. How effective of the laser machining is depends on the reflectivity,

absorption coefficient, thermal conductivity, specific heat and heat of vaporization of

the workpiece. (ASM Volume 16 Machining)

2.1.1 CO2 Laser Cutting

CO2 laser cutting is a cutting process using light 10.6 um (far infrared range)

wavelength, where this source of energy beam is transmitted and focused on the

surface of the material being cut by a lens. The focused laser beam heats the surface

and melting of a capillary is form throughout the depth of the material. The size of

the capillary is usually larger than the focused laser beam diameter. Gas assisting

CO2 laser cutting will enable molten material is ejected from the base of the capillary

by a jet of gas coaxial with the laser beam. Depending on what type of material being

cut, some can be cut easily with CO2 gas assisting. The cut is generated by the

movement of the focused laser beam across the surface of the material which is place

stationary or vice versa. There are also some laser cutting machine will have both

laser beam and workpiece move together to have a better complex linear cut or two

dimensional parts can be produced. CO2 laser beam energy is transmitted guided by

mirrors. The cut material will be expelled using gas jet. The distance between nozzle

and material surface will be approximately 0.2‖ + 0.004‖. The laser source usually

located inside the machine and the workpiece table sizes will be in the range of 8ft x

4ft to 20ft x 6.5ft. The laser machine output power will be in the range of 1500 to

2600 Watts.

The CO2 laser will available in 2 designs, one is the axial-flow laser and another one

is the transverse-flow or gas transport laser. The axial-flow type will have fast and

8

slow flow where the fast axial-flow will achieve 600 W/m (180 W/ft) of tube length

and have an average power up to 5000 W. Whereas the slow axial-flow laser will be

limited to 100 W/m (30 W/ft) of tube length and have less than 1500 W of output

power. Axial-flow CO2 laser can operate in either CW or pulsed mode. Pulse

frequencies in the range of 1 to 10 000 pulses per second. The transverse-flow laser

on have CW mode even its beam can be modulated with a beam chopper.

Transverse-flow laser is used when compact medium-power lasers are needed or

high powers are required where the average output power range around 2500 to 15

000 W.

CO2 laser is used in several types of application not just in cutting but also used in

drilling, engraving, ablation, structuring and welding. Nearly everything can be cut

by laser cutting process which includes all types of metal except for high reflective

index metal, all plastics, glass and wood. Material thickness in which laser cutting

will be optimized will be around 0.12‖ to 0.4‖ depends of what type of material.

Laser cutting is commonly used in cutting flat sheet steel of medium thickness for

sheet metal processing. Minimum slit size will be around 0.006‖ depending on the

cutting speed. In every laser cutting the surface finish will show a striated structure.

Burring will occur on the cut surface and there will be structural changing,

deformation and tempering after laser cutting. There is also a weakness when laser

cutting thin workpiece where the gas pressure will cause the distance between the

workpiece and the nozzle hard to maintain. (ASM Volume 16 Machining)

In every machining operation there is safety consideration while handling it. In laser

cutting, safety glasses are not necessary required as there will guard shield install in

the machine as well. CO2 laser are class 4 laser therefore during the machining

process the machine is built to prevent human access to the laser beams during

machining. The laser might cause serious burns to human tissue and permanent

damage to the eyes. Air pollution might happens when machining involve with

plastics and some alloys material which produce toxic gases. Therefore proper air

ventilation is required where it could be air suction ducting install at the top of the

machine. In terms of noise pollution in laser cutting will be in the safe level as there

the noise level produce is very low. After machining process cleaning of laser

9

machine sometimes will not be necessary as the waste produce mainly in the form of

dust therefore vacuum or filtering will be use to clean up the machine.

Laser technology is still a very young technology and it has not reached the age of 40

years. Laser is regarded as a device for producing finely controllable energy beam

which in contact with the material or the workpiece, generates considerable heat. The

laser beam enables tool-free machining where this light absorbed by the workpiece

and transform into thermal energy. Laser beam has a lot of usage and becoming one

of the important tools for cutting, welding or heat treatment. Laser cutting is

normally used in thin sheet cutting especially to use on mild steel sheet metal. Laser

cutting is very well known in cutting steel sheet material and have been apply widely

in the industrial lasers. Laser cutting is being described as thermal, noncontact,

mechanized process capable of cutting most materials with a high degree of precision

and accuracy. In laser cutting, the area where to be melted or vaporized is very small

and very well defined therefore only the surface of the material is affected by the

heating, melting and evaporation.

Figure 2.1: Gas assists in laser cutting (Radovanic and Dasic, 2006)

The important physical parameters in LBM are the reflectivity and thermal

conductivity of the workpiece surface and its specific heat and latent heats of melting

and evaporation. The lower value of the physical parameters, contributes more

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